Shloka 2

Bhīṣma’s Appraisal of Yudhiṣṭhira’s Dharmic Rule (भीष्मोक्त-युधिष्ठिर-राजधर्म-प्रशंसा)

Devanagari script

शूराश्व कृतविद्याश्न बुद्धिमन्तो जितेन्द्रिया: । धर्मज्ञाश्न कृतज्ञाश्न धर्मराजमनुव्रता:,वैशम्पायनजी कहते हैं--जनमेजय! तदनन्तर तत्त्वार्थदर्शी महापराक्रमी द्रोणाचार्यने कहा--'पाण्डवलोग शूरवीर, विद्वान, बुद्धिमान, जितेन्द्रिय, धर्मज्ञ, कृतज्ञ और अपने बड़े भाई धर्मराज युधिष्ठिरकी आज्ञा माननेवाले उनके भक्त हैं। ऐसे महापुरुष न तो नष्ट होते हैं और न किसीसे तिरस्कृत ही होते हैं

Transliteration

vaiśampāyana uvāca |

śūrāśva kṛtavidyāś ca buddhimanto jitendriyāḥ |

dharmajñāś ca kṛtajñāś ca dharmarājam anuvratāḥ ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana nói: “Họ dũng mãnh, tinh thông học nghệ, trí tuệ và tự chế; họ hiểu dharma và biết ơn, lại một lòng theo Dharmarāja (Yudhiṣṭhira).”

Word by Word

शूराःvaliant, heroic

अश्वाःhorses

कृतविद्याःtrained/educated (having acquired learning)

चand

बुद्धिमन्तःintelligent

जितेन्द्रियाःself-controlled (having conquered the senses)

धर्मज्ञाःknowers of dharma

चand

कृतज्ञाःgrateful

चand

धर्मराजम्Dharma-king (Yudhiṣṭhira)

अनुव्रताःdevoted followers (obedient to)

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Dharmarāja (Yudhiṣṭhira)

Pāṇḍavas (implied by the description)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse presents an ethical ideal: true nobility is shown through learning, discernment, mastery over the senses, knowledge of dharma, gratitude, and loyal adherence to a righteous leader (Dharmarāja).

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Virāṭa Parva context, the narrator Vaiśampāyana characterizes the Pāṇḍavas by listing their virtues and their steadfast loyalty to Yudhiṣṭhira, framing them as men of exemplary conduct.