Mahabharata 7.149.696 — Drona Parva, Adhyaya 149, Shloka 696

अलंबलवधः (Alaṃbala-vadhaḥ) / The Slaying of Alaṃbala and the Advance toward Karṇa

Devanagari script

कृतां राज्यप्रदानेन प्रतिज्ञां परिपालयन्‌ । बचपनसे लेकर सदा ही किये हुए आपके पुत्रके सौहार्दका वह समादर करता था और दुर्योधनको राज्य दिलानेकी जो उसने प्रतिज्ञा कर रखी थी, उसके पालनमें वह तत्पर था

Transliteration

kṛtāṃ rājyapradānena pratijñāṃ paripālayan | bālyāt prabhṛti sadā kṛtaṃ tava putrasya sauhārdaṃ sa samādarat, duryodhanāya rājyaṃ dātum iti yā pratijñā tasya pālane sa tatpara āsīt |

Translation

Sañjaya thưa: Giữ trọn lời thề đã lập để giành lại vương quyền cho Duryodhana, ông một lòng chuyên chú thực hiện. Từ thuở ấu thơ, ông luôn trân trọng tình bằng hữu mà con trai bệ hạ đã dành cho mình; và vì trung tín với mối giao tình ấy, ông gắng sức giữ vững lời nguyện đưa Duryodhana trở lại ngôi bá chủ.

Word by Word

• कृताम्: made, done (promise)
• कृताम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृता (कृत्-प्रत्ययान्त, कृ धातु)
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• राज्य-प्रदानेन: by (the act of) granting the kingdom
• राज्य-प्रदानेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: राज्य + प्रदान (प्र-दा धातु से भाव/कृदन्त)
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• प्रतिज्ञाम्: promise, vow
• प्रतिज्ञाम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रतिज्ञा
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• परिपालयन्: protecting, fulfilling, observing
• परिपालयन्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: परि-पाल्
• Form: Present (Vartamana), Parasmaipada, Present active participle (शतृ), nominative singular masculine

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Dhṛtarāṣṭra (implied by 'your son')
• Duryodhana

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse foregrounds the ethical weight of pratijñā (a solemn vow) and sauhārda (loyal friendship): a person may feel bound to repay long-standing goodwill by steadfastly fulfilling promises, even amid morally complex circumstances.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya explains to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that the concerned warrior/agent (contextually, one aligned with Duryodhana) is acting out of enduring loyalty to Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s son and is determined to carry out his pledge to secure kingship for Duryodhana.