Shloka 17

धृतराष्ट्र–दुर्योधन संवादः

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

Devanagari script

स तदादाय मिथुन राजा च कृपयान्वित: । आजगाम गृहानेव मम पुत्राविति ब्रुवन्‌

Transliteration

sa tadādāya mithunaṃ rājā ca kṛpayānvitāḥ | ājagāma gṛhān eva mama putrāv iti bruvan ||

Translation

毗湿摩波耶那说：国王怀着慈悲，将那一对孩子带回王宫，并宣言：“这两个，是我的儿子。”他如此行事，宁取庇护与抚育，而不追究其来历；遂收为己子，赐以栖身之所与应有的名分。

Word by Word

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

• तत्: that (thing/that pair)
• तत्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• आदाय: having taken
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-दा
• Form: ल्यप् (absolutive/gerund), Parasmaipada (usage)

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

• राजा: the king
• राजा: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

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

• कृपया: with compassion
• कृपया: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृपा
• Form: Feminine, Instrumental, Singular

• अन्वितः: endowed (with)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्वित
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular, क्त (past passive participle)

• आजगाम: came
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-गम्
• Form: Perfect (लिट्), Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

• गृहान्: to the houses/home
• गृहान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: गृह
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• इव: as if/like
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव

• मम: my
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: Genitive, Singular

• पुत्रौ: two sons/children (dual)
• पुत्रौ: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुत्र
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Dual

• इति: thus
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति

• ब्रुवन्: saying
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू
• Form: शतृ (present active participle), Masculine, Nominative, Singular, Parasmaipada

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• King (Śantanu, per surrounding narrative)
• the twin children (a boy and a girl in the surrounding prose context)
• palace/home (gṛha)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights compassionate kingship: a ruler’s dharma includes protecting vulnerable beings and taking responsibility for their welfare, even when their origins are uncertain.

What is happening in the narrative?

The king, overcome with compassion, takes the two children with him to his home and publicly identifies them as his own, effectively adopting them and granting them security and social standing.