Shloka 12

Devanagari script

मज्चांश्व॒ कारयामासुस्तत्र जानपदा जना: । विपुलानुच्छुयोपेतान्‌ शिबिकाश्न महाधना:,वह भूमि समतल थी। उसमें वृक्ष या झाड़-झंखाड़ नहीं थे। वह उत्तरदिशाकी ओर नीची थी। वक्ताओंमें श्रेष्ठ द्रोणने वास्तुपूुजन देखनेके लिये डिण्डिम-घोष कराके वीरसमुदायको आमन्त्रित किया और उत्तम नक्षत्रसे युक्त तिथिमें उस भूमिपर वास्तुपूजन किया। तत्पश्चात्‌ उनके शिल्पियोंने उस रंगभूमिमें वास्तु-शास्त्रके अनुसार विधिपूर्वक एक अति विशाल प्रेक्षागहकी- नींव डाली तथा राजा और राजघरानेकी स्त्रियोंके बैठनेके लिये वहाँ सब प्रकारके अस्त्र-शस्त्रोंसे सम्पन्न बहुत सुन्दर भवन बनाया। जनपदके लोगोंने अपने बैठनेके लिये वहाँ ऊँचे और विशाल मंच बनवाये तथा (स्त्रियोंको लानेके लिये) बहुमूल्य शिबिकाएँ तैयार करायीं

Transliteration

dhṛtarāṣṭra uvāca |

mañcāṁś ca kārayāmāsus tatra jānapadā janāḥ |

vipulān ucchrayopetān śibikāś ca mahādhanāḥ ||

Translation

Dhṛtarāṣṭra said: There, the people of the countryside had platforms constructed—broad and raised high—and they also had costly palanquins made. Thus the local populace, eager to witness the great public spectacle, arranged seating and conveyances in keeping with their means, reflecting both communal participation and the social order surrounding royal events.

Word by Word

मञ्चान्platforms/stages

चand

अंशून्rays; (here) canopies/awnings (lit. rays/threads)

कारयामासुःcaused to be made / had made

तत्रthere

जानपदाःcountrymen; people of the district

जनाःpeople

विपुलान्large, extensive

उच्छ्रयोपेतान्endowed with height/elevation

शिबिकाःpalanquins

चand

महाधनाःvery wealthy

Speaker

धृतराष्ट उवाच

Characters & Entities

Dhṛtarāṣṭra

jānapadāḥ janāḥ (people of the countryside)

mañca (raised platforms)

śibikā (palanquins)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights collective civic participation in a royal/public event: people contribute according to capacity, reinforcing social coordination and the ordered conduct (maryādā) expected around major ceremonies.

What is happening in the narrative?

In preparation for a large public viewing, local people arrange elevated seating platforms and prepare expensive palanquins, indicating the scale of the gathering and the formal, hierarchical logistics of attendance.