Shloka 34

Sabhā-praveśa, Dāna, and the Courtly Convergence (सभा-प्रवेशः दानं च)

Devanagari script

अशिक्षन्त थनुर्वेदे रौरवाजिनवासस: । तत्रैव शिक्षिता राजन्‌ कुमारा वृष्णिनन्दना:,जो महाबली राजकुमार अर्जुनके पास रहकर कृष्णमृगचर्म धारण किये धरनुर्वेदकी शिक्षा लेते थे (वे भी उस सभाभवनमें बैठकर राजा युधिष्ठिरकी उपासना करते थे)। राजन! वृष्णिवंशको आनन्दित करनेवाले राजकुमारोंको वहीं शिक्षा मिली थी

Transliteration

aśikṣanta dhanurvede rauravājinavāsasaḥ | tatraiva śikṣitā rājan kumārā vṛṣṇinandanaḥ ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana said: “Clad in the hide of the ruru-deer, they trained in the science of archery (Dhanurveda). There itself, O king, the princes—delighting the Vṛṣṇi line—received their instruction.”

Word by Word

• {'aśikṣanta': 'they practiced/they were being trained', 'dhanur-vede': 'in Dhanurveda, the science of archery and martial discipline', 'raurava-ajina-vāsasaḥ': 'wearing garments of ruru-deer skin (austere student attire)', 'tatraiva': 'right there

• in that very place', 'śikṣitāḥ': 'were taught

• were trained', 'rājan': 'O king (address to the listener, Janamejaya)', 'kumārāḥ': 'princes

• royal youths', 'vṛṣṇi-nandanāḥ': 'those who gladden the Vṛṣṇis

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Janamejaya (implied by rājan)
• Dhanurveda
• ruru-deer skin (rauravājina)
• Vṛṣṇi princes (Vṛṣṇinandana)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Martial skill (Dhanurveda) is presented as something to be learned with discipline, austerity, and proper guidance—power shaped by restraint and aligned with dharma rather than mere aggression.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana describes princes associated with the Vṛṣṇi/Yādava line training in archery while wearing ruru-deer skin, indicating a student-like austerity; they receive instruction in that very setting as part of their formation.