Shloka 3

धृतराष्ट्रोपदेशः

Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Instruction on Rājadharma and Bala

Devanagari script

बीभत्सुश्न महातेजा निवेदयति ते गृहान्‌ । वसु तस्य गृहे यच्च प्राणानपि च केवलान्‌

Transliteration

Vaishampāyana uvāca: bībhatsuḥ mahātejā nivedayati te gṛhān | vasu tasya gṛhe yac ca prāṇān api ca kevalān ||

Translation

毗湿摩波耶那说：雄伟光耀的毗婆蹉（阿周那）向你禀告：他愿将诸宅邸尽数奉上。其家中所有财物——乃至其自身性命——也都准备完全置于你的役使之下。

Word by Word

• बीभत्सुः: Arjuna (Bibhatsu)
• बीभत्सुः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: बीभत्सु (अर्जुन-नाम)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• महातेजाः: the great-splendoured (one)
• महातेजाः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महातेजस्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• निवेदयति: offers / presents / submits
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि-विद् (निवेदयति)
• Form: Present, Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

• ते: to you
• ते: Sampradana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: युष्मद्
• Form: Dative, Singular

• गृहान्: houses / home (all possessions of the house)
• गृहान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: गृह
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• वसु: wealth
• वसु: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: वसु
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• तस्य: of him / his
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Genitive, Singular

• गृहे: in (his) house
• गृहे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: गृह
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• यत्: whatever
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद्
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

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

• प्राणान्: life-breaths / lives
• प्राणान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्राण
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• अपि: even / also
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि

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

• केवलान्: only, mere (i.e., even the very lives alone)
• केवलान्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: केवल
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Bībhatsu (Arjuna)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights dharmic humility and total commitment in service: Arjuna’s readiness to offer home, wealth, and even life models selfless duty and reverence, placing personal possessions and ego secondary to righteous obligation.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana narrates that Arjuna (Bībhatsu), described as greatly radiant, formally offers his household and all its wealth—and even his life—into the service of the addressed person, signaling complete support and submission in that situation.