Shloka 16

धृतराष्ट्र–दुर्योधन संवादः

Vāraṇāvata-vivāsana-nīti: Dhṛtarāṣṭra and Duryodhana’s Policy Dialogue

Devanagari script

ज्ञात्वा द्विजस्य चापत्ये धनुर्वेदान्तगस्य ह । स राज्ञे दर्शयामास मिथुनं सशरं धनु:

Transliteration

jñātvā dvijasya cāpatye dhanurvedāntagasy ha | sa rājñe darśayāmāsa mithunaṃ saśaraṃ dhanuḥ ||

Translation

毗湿摩波耶那说：那人既已识得这两名幼儿乃是精通弓术至极的婆罗门之后，便将这对婴孩连同弓与箭呈于国王。弓箭与黑羚羊皮昭示着严谨的修习与高贵的出身；商檀奴王为恻隐所动，将他们收于庇护之下，自此便以己子相称。

Word by Word

• ज्ञात्वा: having known
• Type: Verb
• Root: ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), कर्तरि

• द्विजस्य: of a brahmin (twice-born)
• द्विजस्य: Sambandha
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

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

• अपत्ये: in/with regard to the offspring
• अपत्ये: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: अपत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• धनुर्वेदान्तगस्य: of one who has mastered the science of archery
• धनुर्वेदान्तगस्य: Sambandha
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धनुर्वेदान्तग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• ह: indeed/for emphasis
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ह

• सः: he
• सः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• राज्ञे: to the king
• राज्ञे: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Dative, Singular

• दर्शयामास: showed
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु) / दर्शय (णिजन्त)
• Form: Perfect (लिट्) periphrastic, Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

• मिथुनम्: the pair (two children)
• मिथुनम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: मिथुन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• सशरम्: together with arrows
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स-शर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• धनुः: bow
• धनुः: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: धनुस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Śantanu
• dvija (brahmin archer)
• mithuna (twin pair: boy and girl)
• dhanuḥ (bow)
• śara (arrows)
• kṛṣṇājina (black antelope-skin)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The passage highlights a ruler’s dharma of protection: recognizing signs of disciplined upbringing and noble conduct, the king responds with compassion and assumes responsibility for vulnerable children.

What is happening in the narrative?

A man (from the king’s party) identifies two infants as the offspring of a brahmin expert in archery by the presence of a bow, arrows, and black antelope-skin, and then shows them to King Śantanu, who takes them home and has them presented as his own.