Shloka 4

Bhīṣma’s Counsel on Reconciliation and Partition (भीष्मोपदेशः—संधि-राज्यविभागविचारः)

Devanagari script

ततो मुहूर्तान्मधुरां वाणीमुच्चार्य पार्षत: । पप्रच्छ त॑ महात्मान द्रौपद्यर्थ विशाम्पते

Transliteration

tato muhūrtān madhurāṃ vāṇīm uccārya pārṣataḥ | papraccha taṃ mahātmānaṃ draupady-arthaṃ viśāṃpate, rājan |

Translation

Rồi sau một lát, vua Drupada—con của Pṛṣata—cất lời dịu dàng và hỏi bậc đại hồn Vyāsa về Draupadī. Nhà vua thỉnh vấn: làm sao một người nữ có thể chính đáng trở thành vợ theo dharma của nhiều người nam mà không mắc lỗi “saṅkara” (sự rối loạn, pha tạp về xã hội và huyết hệ), và xin được giảng giải minh bạch, đặt nền trên dharma.

Word by Word

• ततः: then, thereafter
• ततः: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः
• Form: Avyaya

• मुहूर्तात्: after a short while (lit. from a muhūrta)
• मुहूर्तात्: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुहूर्त
• Form: Masculine; Ablative; Singular

• मधुराम्: sweet
• मधुराम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मधुर
• Form: Feminine; Accusative; Singular

• वाणीम्: speech, words
• वाणीम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाणी
• Form: Feminine; Accusative; Singular

• उच्चार्य: having spoken/uttered
• उच्चार्य: Karana
• Type: Verb
• Root: उद्-चर्
• Form: Absolutive (क्त्वा/ल्यप्); having uttered/spoken

• पार्षतः: the son of Pṛṣata (Drupada)
• पार्षतः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार्षत
• Form: Masculine; Nominative; Singular

• पप्रच्छ: asked
• पप्रच्छ: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-छ् (पृच्छ्)
• Form: Perfect (लिट्); 3rd person; Singular; Parasmaipada

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine; Accusative; Singular

• महात्मानम्: the great-souled one
• महात्मानम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: महात्मन्
• Form: Masculine; Accusative; Singular

• द्रौपदी-अर्थम्: about Draupadī (lit. Draupadī’s matter/purpose)
• द्रौपदी-अर्थम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्रौपदी
• Form: Masculine (अर्थ); Accusative; Singular

• विशाम्: of the people/subjects
• विशाम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: विश्
• Form: Feminine; Genitive; Plural

• पते: O lord
• पते: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: पति
• Form: Masculine; Vocative; Singular

• राजन्: O king
• राजन्: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन्
• Form: Masculine; Vocative; Singular

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśaṃpāyana
• Drupada (Pārṣata)
• Vyāsa
• Draupadī
• Pṛṣata

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse frames an ethical-dharmic problem: extraordinary marital arrangements must be justified within dharma so that they do not produce saṅkara (social and genealogical disorder). It highlights the Mahābhārata’s method of resolving moral tension through inquiry to a qualified authority (a ṛṣi) and through careful reasoning about duty, lineage, and social stability.

What is happening in the narrative?

After a brief pause, King Drupada speaks respectfully and asks the sage Vyāsa to explain the dharmic basis for Draupadī becoming the wife of multiple men, seeking assurance that no fault—especially the charge of saṅkara—will arise from such a marriage.