Shloka 1

Kīcaka-vadha-pratisaṃjñā: Rumor in Matsya and the Kaurava Scouts’ Report (कीचकवध-प्रतिसंज्ञा)

Devanagari script

हि आय न [हुक है - दोनों हाथोंको फैलानेपर जितनी लंबाई होती है

Transliteration

Vaiśampāyana uvāca | te dṛṣṭvā nihatān sūtān rājñe gatvā nyavedayan | gandharvair nihatā rājan sūtaputrā mahābalāḥ ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana sprach: Als die Stadtbewohner die erschlagenen Söhne der Wagenlenker sahen, gingen sie zu König Virāṭa und meldeten: „O König, die Gandharvas haben jene mächtigen Sūta-Söhne getötet.“

Word by Word

• वैशम्पायनः: Vaishampayana
• वैशम्पायनः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: वैशम्पायन
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• उवाच: said/spoke
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: Perfect, 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• ते: they
• ते: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश्
• Form: क्त्वा (absolutive), Parasmaipada (usage)

• निहतान्: slain/killed
• निहतान्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नि-हन्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural, क्त (past passive participle)

• सूतान्: charioteers/bards (sutas)
• सूतान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूत
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• राज्ञे: to the king
• राज्ञे: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन्
• Form: Masculine, Dative, Singular

• गत्वा: having gone
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम्
• Form: क्त्वा (absolutive)

• न्यवेदयन्: reported/informed
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि-अवेदय्
• Form: Imperfect, 3rd, Plural, Parasmaipada

• गन्धर्वैः: by the Gandharvas
• गन्धर्वैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: गन्धर्व
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• निहताः: were slain
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नि-हन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural, क्त (past passive participle)

• राजन्: O king
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन्
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• सूतपुत्राः: sons of the suta
• सूतपुत्राः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूतपुत्र
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• महाबलाः: very strong/mighty
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महाबल
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• King Virāṭa
• Gandharvas
• sūtaputrāḥ (sons of charioteers)
• townspeople (nagaravāsinaḥ, implied by context)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights civic and ethical responsibility: witnesses of harm in the kingdom should report truthfully to the ruler, enabling a dharmic response—protection of subjects and restoration of order.

What is happening in the narrative?

After seeing the charioteers’ sons killed, the townspeople go to King Virāṭa and inform him that Gandharvas have slain the mighty sūtaputrās, initiating the king’s awareness of the crisis.