Shloka 38

धृतराष्ट्रस्य पश्चात्तापः तथा वनप्रस्थानानुज्ञा | Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Remorse and Request for Forest-Retirement

Devanagari script

कर्म दृष्टवाथ भृत्यांस्त्वं वरयेथा: कुरूद्गबह

Transliteration

karma dṛṣṭvātha bhṛtyāṁs tvaṁ varayethāḥ kurūdgvaha

Translation

毗湿摩波耶那说道：“既已察其行止，便当择取你的侍从，噫，库鲁族中最卓越的承嗣者。”

Word by Word

• कर्म: deed, action
• कर्म: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्मन्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश्
• Form: Absolutive (Gerund), Parasmaipada (usage-neutral)

• अथ: then, thereafter
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ

• भृत्यान्: servants, attendants
• भृत्यान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: भृत्य
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: युष्मद्
• Form: Nominative, Singular

• वरयेथाः: should choose, should select
• Type: Verb
• Root: वृ
• Form: Optative (Vidhi-lin), Second, Singular, Atmanepada

• कुरूद्गबह: O Kurūdgbaha (vocative; proper name/epithet)
• कुरूद्गबह: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुरूद्गबह
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Kuru (dynasty)
• bhṛtya (attendants/servants)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

One should appoint or accept close aides only after observing their actual conduct; ethical discernment based on deeds (karma) is presented as the proper standard for choosing those who serve near a leader.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana continues the narration by advising a Kuru elder/prince that, after assessing people’s behavior, he should select suitable attendants—implying careful judgment in matters of service and proximity to authority.