Shloka 22

Devanagari script

तां देवसमितिं तस्य वासवश्न विशाम्पते । अभ्यागच्छन्नपवरं ज्ञातुमग्निश्च भारत,महाराज भरतनन्दन! नृपश्रेष्ठ उशीनरके महत्त्वको समझनेके लिये किसी समय इन्द्र और अग्नि उनकी राजसभामें गये

Transliteration

tāṃ devasamitīṃ tasya vāsavaś ca viśāṃpate | abhyāgacchann apavaraṃ jñātum agniś ca bhārata ||

Translation

O lord of the people, Indra (Vāsava) and Agni approached his divine royal assembly, wishing to ascertain the true measure of that king’s greatness.

Word by Word

ताम्that (her/it)

देवसमितिम्assembly of the gods

तस्यof him/that (king)

वासवःVāsava (Indra)

चand

विशाम्पतेO lord of the people (O king)

अभ्यागच्छन्approached, came near

अपवरम्excellent/supreme (one)

ज्ञातुम्to know

अग्निःAgni (Fire-god)

चand

भारतO Bhārata

Speaker

लोगश उवाच

Characters & Entities

Indra (Vāsava)

Agni

royal assembly (devasamitī)

Bhārata (addressee)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

True royal greatness is measured by dharma—especially generosity, integrity, and steadiness under examination—so much so that even the gods may come to test and reveal it.

What is happening in the narrative?

Indra and Agni arrive at the king’s court, apparently under a pretext, in order to assess and understand the extent of his excellence and virtue.