Mahabharata — Ashvamedhika Parva, Shloka 13

Kṛṣṇasya Dvārakā-praveśaḥ — Krishna’s Return to Dvārakā and the Raivataka Festival

Devanagari script

सौदास उवाच ब्रृहि विप्र यथाकामं प्रतिवक्तास्मि ते वच: । छेत्तास्मि संशयं तेडद्य न मे5त्रास्ति विचारणा

Transliteration

Saudāsa uvāca: brūhi vipra yathākāmaṁ prativaktāsmi te vacaḥ | chettāsmi saṁśayaṁ te ’dya na me ’trāsti vicāraṇā | sa bhavān mitratām adya samprāpto mama pārthiva | sa me buddhiṁ prayacchasva sammatāṁ puruṣarṣabha pṛthvīnatha puruṣapravara ||

Translation

Saudāsa nói: “Hỡi Bà-la-môn, hãy nói đúng như ý ngài; ta sẽ đáp lại lời ngài. Hôm nay ta sẽ chém đứt mối nghi của ngài—trong việc này ta không hề do dự. Tâu Đại vương, nay ngài đã kết giao bằng hữu với ta; vậy nên, hỡi bậc tối thượng trong loài người, chúa tể cõi đất, xin ban cho ta lời khuyên vững chắc, được người đời thừa nhận.”

Word by Word

• {'brūhi': 'speak

• tell', 'vipra': 'a brāhmaṇa

• learned priest', 'yathākāmam': 'as you wish

• according to your desire', 'prativaktā asmi': 'I will reply

• I am one who will answer', 'vacaḥ': 'speech

• statement', 'chettā asmi': 'I will cut off

• I will resolve decisively', 'saṁśayam': 'doubt

• uncertainty', 'adya': 'today

• now', 'na me atra asti vicāraṇā': 'there is no deliberation/hesitation for me here', 'bhavān': 'you (honorific)', 'mitratām samprāptaḥ': 'has attained friendship

• has entered into friendly relation', 'pārthiva': 'king

• ruler', 'buddhim': 'counsel

• advice', 'prayacchasva': 'please give

• bestow', 'sammatām': 'approved

• acceptable', 'puruṣarṣabha': 'bull among men

• best of men', 'pṛthvīnatha': 'lord of the earth

• sovereign', 'puruṣapravara': 'foremost among men'}

Speaker

सौदास उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Saudāsa
• vipra (a brāhmaṇa)
• pārthiva (a king)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights ethical kingship grounded in openness to wise counsel: friendship and trust create the space for frank speech, and the ruler (or speaker) commits to removing doubt decisively and acting without wavering once the right course is understood.

What is happening in the narrative?

Saudāsa addresses a brāhmaṇa and a kingly interlocutor, inviting them to speak freely. He promises to answer and to resolve any uncertainty immediately, and—since a bond of friendship has been established—he requests sound, approved advice on what should be done.