Shloka 1

सभा-पर्व (अध्याय ६०) — द्रौपदी-प्रश्नः सभायाम् / Draupadī’s Question in the Assembly

Devanagari script

#+>.ोी >> श्न हि कम षष्टितमो< ध्याय: द्यूतक्रीड़ाका आरम्भ वैशम्पायन उवाच उपोहामाने द्यूते तु राजान: सर्व एव ते । धृतराष्ट्रं पुरस्कृत्य विविशुस्तां सभां तत:,वैशम्पायनजी कहते हैं--राजन्‌! जब जूएका खेल आरम्भ होने लगा, उस समय सब राजालोग धृतराष्ट्रको आगे करके उस सभामें आये

Transliteration

Vaiśampāyana uvāca: upohyamāne dyūte tu rājānaḥ sarva eva te | dhṛtarāṣṭraṃ puraskṛtya viviśus tāṃ sabhāṃ tataḥ ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana said: As the game of dice was being set in motion, all those kings, placing Dhṛtarāṣṭra at their head, then entered that assembly hall.

Word by Word

• उपोह्यमाने: while being proposed/arranged
• उपोह्यमाने: Adhikarana
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप-ऊह् (धातु) → उपोह्यमान (कृदन्त)
• Form: नपुंसक, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• द्यूते: in the dice-game
• द्यूते: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्यूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसक, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• तु: but/indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु

• राजानः: kings
• राजानः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• एव: indeed/just
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

• ते: those (they)
• ते: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• धृतराष्ट्रम्: Dhritarashtra
• धृतराष्ट्रम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: धृतराष्ट्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• पुरस्कृत्य: having placed in front / making (him) the foremost
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरस् + कृ (धातु) → पुरस्कृत्य (क्त्वान्त अव्यय)

• विविशुः: entered
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + विश् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परस्मैपद, परोक्षभूत/परफेक्ट), प्रथम, बहुवचन

• ताम्: that
• ताम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• सभाम्: assembly hall
• सभाम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: सभा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• ततः: then/thereupon
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Dhṛtarāṣṭra
• sabhā (assembly hall)
• dyūta (dice-game)
• rājānaḥ (kings)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse frames how morally risky actions can gain legitimacy when conducted publicly under royal authority. By placing Dhṛtarāṣṭra at the forefront, the court gives the dice-game an official sanction—hinting that ethical responsibility in governance includes preventing harmful entertainments that can trigger injustice.

What is happening in the narrative?

As preparations for the dice-game begin, the gathered kings proceed into the royal assembly hall, led by (and symbolically under the authority of) Dhṛtarāṣṭra. This sets the stage for the famous dyūta episode and its cascading consequences.