Shloka 193

अध्याय ६ — युधिष्ठिरस्य वैराग्य-वाक्यं धृतराष्ट्रस्य वनगमनाभिलाषश्च

Chapter 6: Yudhiṣṭhira’s Renunciatory Appeal and Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Resolve for the Forest

Devanagari script

कोशेन पोरैर्दण्डेन ये चास्य प्रियकारिण: । यदि अपनेमें युद्धकी शक्ति न हो तो मन्त्रियोंके साथ उस आक्रमणकारी राजाकी शरणमें जाय तथा कोश

Transliteration

dhṛtarāṣṭra uvāca | kośena pauraiḥ daṇḍena ye cāsya priyakāriṇaḥ | yadi ātmany yuddhaśaktir na syāt tadā mantribhiḥ saha tasya ākrāntur rāño śaraṇaṃ vrajet | kośaṃ paurān manuṣyān daṇḍaśaktiṃ ca anyāni ca priyāṇi karmāṇi sarvāṇi samarpya taṃ pratidvandvinaṃ nivartayituṃ yateta |

Translation

Dhṛtarāṣṭra nói: “Nếu tự xét không có sức để giao chiến, thì cùng các đại thần hãy đến nương nhờ sự che chở của vị vua đang xâm lấn ấy. Bằng cách dâng nộp kho tàng, dân cư trong thành, quyền lực trừng phạt, và mọi điều khác mình quý trọng và có thể phụng sự, hãy cố làm cho kẻ đối địch ấy lui binh.”

Word by Word

• कोशेन: with/by the treasury (wealth)
• कोशेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: कोश
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• पौरैः: with/through the citizens
• पौरैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: पौर
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• दण्डेन: with/through punishment/force (army, coercive power)
• दण्डेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: दण्ड
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• ये: who/which (those who)
• ये: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• अस्य: of him/of this (his)
• अस्य: Sambandha
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: इदम्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Singular

• प्रियकारिणः: those who do what is pleasing (well-wishers/servants)
• प्रियकारिणः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रियकारिन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

Speaker

धघतयाट्र उवाच

Characters & Entities

• धृतराष्ट्र (Dhṛtarāṣṭra)
• मन्त्री (ministers/counsellors)
• आक्रमणकारी राजा (invading king)
• कोश (treasury)
• पौर/पुरवासी (townspeople/citizens)
• दण्डशक्ति (coercive power of punishment)
• प्रतिद्वन्द्वी (rival/opponent)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

When the capacity to resist by force is absent, rājadharma may require a pragmatic choice: seek protection through diplomacy and submission, even at the cost of wealth and administrative power, in order to prevent greater destruction and to preserve lives.

What is happening in the narrative?

Dhṛtarāṣṭra articulates a policy option for a threatened ruler: if war-strength is lacking, approach the aggressor with ministers, offer resources such as treasury, citizens’ support, and coercive authority, and attempt to induce the rival to withdraw.