Shloka 101

अनुक्रमणिकाध्यायः (Anukramaṇikā Adhyāya) — Invocation, Narrator Frame, and Textual Scope

Devanagari script

दुर्वत्त धार्तराष्ट्राणामुक्तवान्‌ भगवानृषि: । इदं शतसहसंरं तु लोकानां पुण्यकर्मणाम्‌

Transliteration

durvṛtta-dhārtarāṣṭrāṇām uktavān bhagavān ṛṣiḥ | idaṁ śata-sahasraṁ tu lokānāṁ puṇya-karmaṇām |

Translation

Vị hiền triết đáng tôn kính tuyên bố rằng dòng Dhārtarāṣṭra có hạnh kiểm tà ác. Ngài lại công bố: “Bộ (Mahābhārata) này gồm một trăm nghìn câu kệ, dành cho muôn dân trong thế gian—những ai cầu phúc đức bằng hành vi chính pháp,” qua đó đặt sử thi như một lời phán xét đối với adharma và như một chỉ dẫn đưa đến puṇya (công đức đạo hạnh).

Word by Word

• दुर्वृत्ताः: ill-conducted, wicked
• दुर्वृत्ताः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुर्वृत्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• धार्तराष्ट्राणाम्: of the sons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra
• धार्तराष्ट्राणाम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: धार्तराष्ट्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• उक्तवान्: said, spoke
• उक्तवान्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• भगवान्: the venerable one, the blessed
• भगवान्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: भगवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• ऋषिः: sage
• ऋषिः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋषि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• शतसहस्रम्: a hundred thousand (verses/units)
• शतसहस्रम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: शतसहस्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• तु: but, indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु

• लोकानाम्: of the worlds/people
• लोकानाम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• पुण्यकर्मणाम्: of those having meritorious deeds
• पुण्यकर्मणाम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुण्यकर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Plural

Characters & Entities

• Dhārtarāṣṭras (Kauravas)
• Bhagavān Ṛṣi (the revered sage/narrator)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse contrasts wicked conduct (durvṛtta) with the epic’s purpose: to guide people toward puṇya through righteous action. It presents the Mahābhārata as a moral instrument—condemning adharma (as exemplified by the Dhārtarāṣṭras) and commending ethical living.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the opening framing of the epic, the narrator-sage characterizes the Dhārtarāṣṭras as morally wayward and identifies the work being introduced as a vast composition of a hundred thousand verses, intended for the moral and spiritual benefit of the world.