SanskritIASTMeaning
धर्मे स्थितो धर्म-राजो महा-आत्मा स्वयं च इदं कथयत्व् इन्द्र-कल्पःdharme sthito dharma-rājo mahā-ātmā svayaṃ ca idaṃ kathayatv indra-kalpaḥ"let Dharmaraja, established in dharma, great-souled, equal to Indra,
ईशो वा ते यद्य् अनीशो ऽथ वा एष वाक्याद् अस्य क्षिप्रम् एकं भजस्वīśo vā te yady anīśo 'tha vā eṣa vākyād asya kṣipram ekaṃ bhajasvahimself declare this -- whether he is your lord or not; by his word accept one at once;
सर्वे हि इमे कौरवेयाः सभायां दुःख-अन्तरे वर्तमानास् तव एवsarve hi ime kauraveyāḥ sabhāyāṃ duḥkha-antare vartamānās tava evafor all these Kauravas in the assembly, remaining amid your sorrow,
न विब्रुवन्त्य् आर्य-सत्त्वा यथावत् पतींश् च ते समवेक्ष्य अल्प-भाग्यान्na vibruvanty ārya-sattvā yathāvat patīṃś ca te samavekṣya alpa-bhāgyāndo not speak as they ought, noble-souled as they are, looking upon your ill-fated husbands."
ततः सभ्याः कुरु-राजस्य तत्र वाक्यं सर्वे प्रशशंसुस् तदा उच्चैःtataḥ sabhyāḥ kuru-rājasya tatra vākyaṃ sarve praśaśaṃsus tadā uccaiḥthen all the courtiers of the Kuru king there loudly praised that word,
चेल-आवेधांश् च अपि चक्रुर् नदन्तो हा हा इत्य् आसीद् अपि च एव अत्र नादःcela-āvedhāṃś ca api cakrur nadanto hā hā ity āsīd api ca eva atra nādaḥand made a waving of garments, crying out; and there was there also the cry "alas! alas!"
धर्मराजोdharmarājooriginal form "dharmarājo", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
महात्माmahātmāoriginal form "mahātmā", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
चेदंcedaṃoriginal form "cedaṃ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
इन्द्रकल्पःindrakalpaḥoriginal form "indrakalpaḥ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
वैषvaiṣaoriginal form "vaiṣa", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
हीमेhīmeoriginal form "hīme", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
दुःखान्तरेduḥkhāntareoriginal form "duḥkhāntare", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
तवैवtavaivaoriginal form "tavaiva", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
आर्यसत्त्वाāryasattvāoriginal form "āryasattvā", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
समवेक्ष्याल्पभाग्यान्samavekṣyālpabhāgyānoriginal form "samavekṣyālpabhāgyān", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
कुरुराजस्यkururājasyaoriginal form "kururājasya", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
तदोच्चैःtadoccaiḥoriginal form "tadoccaiḥ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
चेलावेधांश्celāvedhāṃśoriginal form "celāvedhāṃś", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
चापिcāpioriginal form "cāpi", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
हेत्य्hetyoriginal form "hety", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
चैवात्रcaivātraoriginal form "caivātra", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
सर्वेsarveoriginal form "sarve", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
चासन्cāsanoriginal form "cāsan", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
पार्थिवाःpārthivāḥoriginal form "pārthivāḥ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
प्रीतिमन्तःprītimantaḥoriginal form "prītimantaḥ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
कुरुश्रेष्ठंkuruśreṣṭhaṃoriginal form "kuruśreṣṭhaṃ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
धार्मिकंdhārmikaṃoriginal form "dhārmikaṃ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
पूजयन्तःpūjayantaḥoriginal form "pūjayantaḥ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
The trap closes: Yudhishthira is set between two ruins -- to acknowledge himself Draupadi's lord is to acknowledge also the right to have staked her; to disown lordship over her is to lie and betray the truth of the game. Duryodhana dresses his treachery in reverent words -- "established in dharma," "equal to Indra" -- for flattery on the lips of a persecutor is the most refined of mockeries. Telling too is the double voice of the assembly: some applaud, others groan "alas" -- so every community splits apart when truth is violated: conscience and sycophancy sound at once. The verse teaches that the flattering word of a villain is more dangerous than open abuse, and that in the hour of injustice the very silence of the noble cries out louder than the applause of flatterers.