Shloka 17

Devanagari script

सर्वे च पुरभेत्तारो नवमेघनिभा गजा: । एतद्‌ राजन्‌ मम धन तेन दीव्याम्यहं त्वया,उनकी कान्ति नूतन मेघोंकी घटाके समान है। वे सब-के-सब बड़े-बड़े नगरोंको भी नाश कर देनेकी शक्ति रखते हैं। राजन! यह मेरा धन है, जिसे दाँवपर लगाकर मैं तुम्हारे साथ खेलता हूँ

Transliteration

sarve ca purabhettāro navameghanibhā gajāḥ | etad rājan mama dhana tena dīvyāmy ahaṃ tvayā ||

Translation

সিহঁত সকলো নগৰভেদী; সিহঁতৰ কান্তি নতুন মেঘঘনাৰ দৰে। হে ৰাজন! এইয়াই মোৰ ধন; ইয়াকেই পণ কৰি মই তোমাৰ সৈতে পাশা খেলোঁ।

Word by Word

सर्वेall

चand

पुरभेत्तारःdestroyers/breachers of cities

नवमेघनिभाःlike new clouds

गजाःelephants

एतत्this

राजन्O king

ममmy/of me

धनम्wealth/treasure

तेनwith that/by that

दीव्यामिI play (at dice)/I gamble

अहम्I

त्वयाwith you

Speaker

युधिछिर उवाच

Characters & Entities

Yudhiṣṭhira

rājan (the king addressed—Duryodhana in the dice match context)

gajāḥ (elephants)

purabhettāraḥ (city-breaking elephants)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how immense royal resources and power can be misused when a ruler yields to vice (gambling). Wealth that should serve protection and dharma becomes an instrument of self-ruin when staked under delusion and social manipulation.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the dice-hall episode, Yudhiṣṭhira continues wagering his possessions. Here he declares that he is staking formidable, city-destroying elephants—describing their cloud-like splendor—while addressing the opposing king in the game.