Shloka 14

धृतराष्ट्रस्य स्पर्शाभिलाषः — Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Request for Touch and Permission for Tapas

Devanagari script

तूणाश्मानं वाजिरथप्रवाहां ध्वजद्रुमै: संवृतकूलरोधसम्‌ । पदातिनागैर्बहुकर्दमां नदीं सपत्ननाशे नृपति: प्रयोजयेत्‌

Transliteration

tūṇāśmānaṃ vājirathapravāhāṃ dhvajadrumaiḥ saṃvṛtakūlarodhasam | padātināgair bahukardamāṃ nadīṃ sapatnanāśe nṛpatiḥ prayojayet ||

Translation

持国王说道：“为摧灭强敌与对手，君王当使军旅如一条大河：箭箙如石，战马与战车为奔涌急流；两岸堤障列幡旗如林木；步卒与战象则如河中深黏之淤泥。如此驱动这‘军河’，以覆灭敌军。”

Word by Word

• तूण: quiver
• तूण: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: तूण
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• अश्मानम्: stone, rock
• अश्मानम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: अश्मन्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• वाजि: horse
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाजि
• Form: Masculine, N/A, N/A

• रथ: chariot
• Type: Noun
• Root: रथ
• Form: Masculine, N/A, N/A

• प्रवाहाम्: stream, current
• प्रवाहाम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रवाह
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• ध्वज: banner, flag
• Type: Noun
• Root: ध्वज
• Form: Masculine, N/A, N/A

• द्रुमैः: by trees
• द्रुमैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्रुम
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• संवृत: covered, enclosed
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्+वृ (वृणोति/वृणुते)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• कूल: bank (of a river)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कूल
• Form: Neuter, N/A, N/A

• रोधसम्: bank, embankment
• Type: Noun
• Root: रोधस
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• पदाति: foot-soldier
• Type: Noun
• Root: पदाति
• Form: Masculine, N/A, N/A

• नागैः: by elephants
• नागैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: नाग
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• बहु: much, many
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बहु
• Form: N/A, N/A, N/A

• कर्दमाम्: muddy (one), full of mire
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्दम
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• नदीम्: river
• नदीम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: नदी
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• सपत्न: rival, enemy
• Type: Noun
• Root: सपत्न
• Form: Masculine, N/A, N/A

• नाशे: in (the act of) destruction
• नाशे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: नाश
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• नृपतिः: king
• नृपतिः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृपति
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• प्रयोजयेत्: should employ, should deploy
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र+युज्
• Form: Optative (Vidhi-lin), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada, Active

Speaker

धृतराष्ट उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Dhṛtarāṣṭra
• nṛpati (king)
• army (as a river metaphor)
• quivers
• horses
• chariots
• banners/standards
• infantry
• elephants
• river

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse teaches a strategic image of royal power: a king must deploy his forces decisively and in an organized way to neutralize hostile rivals. Ethically, it reflects the kṣatriya-world view where protection of the realm may require force, but it also warns (by its vividness) how war becomes an overwhelming, engulfing force like a flood.

What is happening in the narrative?

Dhṛtarāṣṭra speaks in the Ashramavāsika context, using a striking metaphor: he compares an army to a river whose components are mapped onto military units and equipment, describing how a king would use such a force to destroy enemies.