Shloka 3

Adhyāya 52 (Sabhā-parva): Vidura Invites Yudhiṣṭhira to Hastināpura for the Dice Match

Devanagari script

खसा एकासना हार्हा: प्रदरा दीर्घवेणव: । पारदाश्न कुलिन्दाश्न तड़णा: परतड़णा:

Transliteration

Khasā ekāsanā hārhyāḥ pradarā dīrghaveṇavaḥ | Pāradāś ca Kulindāś ca taḍaṇāḥ parataḍaṇāḥ ||

Translation

Duryodhana sprach: „Die Khasas, die Ekāsanas, die Hārhyas, die Pradaras und die Dīrghaveṇus; ebenso die Pāradās und die Kulindas; die Taḍaṇas und die Parataḍaṇas—auch sie gehören zu den Völkern (die in dieser Versammlung der Könige aufgereiht sind).“

Word by Word

खसाःKhasas (a people/tribe)

एकासनाःthose with one seat; single-seated (a group/tribe epithet)

हार्हाःHarhas (a people/tribe)

प्रदराःPradaras (a people/tribe)

दीर्घवेणवःlong-bamboo(-bearing) people; Long-veṇus (a group epithet)

पारदाःPāradas (a people/tribe)

अश्नAśnas (a people/tribe)

कुलिन्दाःKulindas (a people/tribe)

अश्नAśnas (a people/tribe)

तडणाःTaḍaṇas (a people/tribe)

परतडणाःParataḍaṇas (a people/tribe; 'para-' prefixed group-name)

Speaker

दुर्योधन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Duryodhana

Khasas (Khasāḥ)

Ekāsanas (Ekāsanāḥ)

Hārhyas (Hārhyāḥ)

Pradaras (Pradarāḥ)

Dīrghaveṇus (Dīrghaveṇavaḥ)

Pāradās (Pāradāḥ)

Kulindas (Kulindāḥ)

Taḍaṇas (Taḍaṇāḥ)

Parataḍaṇas (Parataḍaṇāḥ)

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 the breadth of political networks and the inclusion of distant frontier peoples, inviting reflection on how power is displayed and consolidated. Ethically, it points to the contrast between mere accumulation of allies/territories and the dharmic responsibility to rule justly.

What is happening in the narrative?

Duryodhana is enumerating various peoples/tribes present or accounted for in the wider political sphere connected to the royal assembly, emphasizing the extensive range of groups involved in the era’s power dynamics.