Shloka 14

Bhīmasena’s Eastern Digvijaya and the Cedi Reception

Sabhā-parva 26

Devanagari script

अजुन उवाच कुरूणामृषभो राजा धर्मपुत्रो युधिष्ठिर: । धर्मज्ञ: सत्यसंधश्न यज्वा विपुलदक्षिण:

Transliteration

arjuna uvāca

kurūṇām ṛṣabho rājā dharmaputro yudhiṣṭhiraḥ |

dharmajñaḥ satyasaṃdhaś ca yajvā vipuladakṣiṇaḥ ||

Translation

অর্জুন বললেন— “মহারাজ! কুরুদের মধ্যে শ্রেষ্ঠ রাজা ধর্মপুত্র যুধিষ্ঠির ধর্মজ্ঞ, সত্যসংকল্প, এবং বিপুল দক্ষিণা দানকারী যজ্ঞকারী।”

Word by Word

• अर्जुनः: Arjuna
• अर्जुनः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्जुन
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• उवाच: said
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: Perfect (Paroksha-bhuta), Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

• कुरूणाम्: of the Kurus
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुरु
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• ऋषभः: the best/bull (chief)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋषभ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• राजा: king
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• धर्मपुत्रः: son of Dharma (Dharmaputra)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्मपुत्र
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• युधिष्ठिरः: Yudhishthira
• Type: Noun
• Root: युधिष्ठिर
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• धर्मज्ञः: knower of dharma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धर्मज्ञ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• सत्यसन्धः: true to his pledge
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सत्यसन्ध
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• यज्वा: sacrificer; one who performs sacrifices
• Type: Noun
• Root: यज्वन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• विपुलदक्षिणः: having abundant sacrificial gifts (dakshina)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विपुलदक्षिण
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

अजुन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Arjuna
• Yudhiṣṭhira
• Kurus

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Legitimate sovereignty is grounded in dharma: truthfulness, knowledge of righteous conduct, and generosity—especially the capacity to give (dakṣiṇā) in sacrificial and public duties—mark a ruler as worthy of honor and pre-eminence.

What is happening in the narrative?

Arjuna praises Yudhiṣṭhira as the foremost Kuru king, emphasizing his dharmic character and generosity. In the broader Sabha-parvan setting, this supports the claim that Yudhiṣṭhira deserves recognition and the status associated with imperial rites such as the Rājasūya.