Shloka 58

Dambhodbhava, Nara-Nārāyaṇa, and the Counsel to Abandon Hubris

Udyoga-parva 94

Devanagari script

त्वन्मुखानकरोद्‌ राजन्‌ न च त्वामत्यवर्तत | पुत्रोंसहित आपने ही युधिष्ठिरको यहाँसे निकालकर इन्द्रप्रसथ्थका निवासी बनाया। वहाँ रहकर उन्होंने समस्त राजाओंको अपने वशमें किया और उन्हें आपका मुखापेक्षी बना दिया। राजन! तो भी युधिष्ठिरने कभी आपकी आज्ञाका उल्लंघन नहीं किया || ५७ ह || तस्यैवं वर्तमानस्य सौबलेन जिहीर्षता

Transliteration

tvam mukhān akarod rājan na ca tvām atyavartata | putraiḥ sahitaḥ āpanneva yudhiṣṭhiram ihātaḥ niṣkāsya indraprasthasya nivāsinaṃ akaroḥ | tatra sthitvā sa sarvarājñāṃ vaśe kṛtvā tān tava mukhāpekṣīn akaroḥ | rājan tathāpi yudhiṣṭhiro na kadācit tava ājñām ullaṅghitavān || tasyaivaṃ vartamānasya saubalenābhijihīrṣatā

Translation

Vaiśampāyana said: “O King, he acted only with your approval and never overstepped you. You yourself, together with your sons, sent Yudhiṣṭhira away from here and made him a resident of Indraprastha. Living there, he brought all kings under his influence and made them look to you as the decisive authority. Yet even so, O King, Yudhiṣṭhira never violated your command. While he was thus conducting himself, the son of Śubala sought to seize…”

Word by Word

• {'rājan': 'O king (vocative address)', 'mukha': 'mouth

• by extension, one’s word/approval/authority', 'mukhān akarot': 'made (someone) dependent on one’s word/approval

• made them look to you for sanction', 'na ... atyavartata': 'did not overstep

• did not transgress', 'putraiḥ sahitaḥ': 'together with (your) sons', 'niṣkāsya': 'having sent out/removed

• having made depart', 'indraprastha': 'Indraprastha (capital city of the Pāṇḍavas)', 'nivāsinaṃ akaroḥ': 'you made (him) a resident', 'tatra sthitvā': 'staying there

• while residing there', 'sarva-rājñām': 'of all kings', 'vaśe kṛtvā': 'having brought under control/influence', 'mukhāpekṣin': 'one who waits upon/depends on another’s word

• looking for approval', 'ājñā': 'command

• order', 'ullaṅgh': 'to violate

• to transgress', 'tasya evaṃ vartamānasya': 'while he was behaving/acting in that manner', 'saubala': 'son of Śubala (Śakuni)', 'jihīrṣatā': 'desiring to take away/seize

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Yudhiṣṭhira
• Duryodhana (implied by 'your sons')
• Śakuni (Saubala)
• Indraprastha
• the kings (sarva-rājānaḥ)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even when empowered and successful, a righteous ruler (Yudhiṣṭhira) restrains himself within legitimate authority and does not violate the king’s command; dharma includes disciplined obedience and respect for established order.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana reminds the king that Yudhiṣṭhira acted with the king’s sanction: he was sent to Indraprastha, gained influence over other rulers, yet never disobeyed. The verse then turns toward the next development: Śakuni (Saubala) becomes intent on seizing advantage, foreshadowing escalating conflict.