Shloka 39

धृतराष्ट्र-सत्कारः तथा श्राद्ध-दाने नियमनम् | Honoring Dhṛtarāṣṭra and Regulating Śrāddha-Gifts

Devanagari script

विपरीतकश्न मे शत्रुर्नियम्यश्न भवेन्नर: । राजा युधिष्ठिर बड़े दयालु थे। वे सदा प्रसन्न रहकर अपने भाइयों और मन्त्रियोंसे कहा करते थे कि “ये राजा धृतराष्ट्र मेरे और आपलोगोंके माननीय हैं। जो इनकी आज्ञाके अधीन रहता है

Transliteration

vaiparītyakṛc ca me śatrur niyamyaś ca bhaven naraḥ |

Translation

毗舍摩波耶那说：“凡违逆我命者，是我的仇敌；而能自持克制、守于纪律——顺从国王敕令者——便成为我自己的人。”在此情境中，以慈悲与恒常喜悦著称的坚战王屡屡告诫诸弟与群臣：持国王当受敬礼；对持国王命令的忠顺，应视同对坚战王本人的忠顺；若敢抗命，必招惩罚。

Word by Word

• {'viparīta': 'contrary, opposite, acting against (proper conduct or command)', 'kṛt (kṛc)': 'doing, acting

• one who performs (an action)', 'me': 'my', 'śatruḥ': 'enemy', 'niyamya': 'restrained, self-controlled

• acting under rule/discipline', 'bhavet': 'would be, becomes', 'naraḥ': 'man, person', 'ājñā': 'command, order (implied by the narrative context)', 'daṇḍa': 'punishment, royal chastisement (implied by the narrative context)', 'suhṛd': 'well-wisher, friend (implied by the narrative context)'}

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Yudhiṣṭhira
• Dhṛtarāṣṭra

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse frames ethical governance in terms of disciplined obedience: one who follows rightful injunctions and maintains self-restraint is treated as a friend, while deliberate contrariness toward legitimate authority is treated as enmity and becomes liable to punishment.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana reports Yudhiṣṭhira’s policy statement to his brothers and ministers: Dhṛtarāṣṭra is to be honored as a venerable king; those who remain under his orders are considered Yudhiṣṭhira’s allies, and those who act oppositely are regarded as enemies deserving chastisement.