Shloka 21

Devanagari script

वैशम्पायन उवाच ततो विराटो नृपति: सम्प्रहृष्टतनुरुह:,वैशम्पायनजी कहते हैं--जनमेजय! अपने अमित-पराक्रमी कुमारकी विजयका समाचार सुनकर राजा विराट बड़े प्रसन्न हुए। उनके शरीरमें रोमांच हो आया। उन्होंने वस्त्र और आशभूषणोंसे उन दूतोंका सत्कार किया और मन्त्रीको आज्ञा दी--

Transliteration

Vaiśampāyana uvāca | tato virāṭo nṛpatiḥ samprahṛṣṭa-tanūruhaḥ | janamejaya! svasyāmita-parākramiṇaḥ kumārasya vijaya-samācāraṃ śrutvā sa mahān prahṛṣṭo ’bhavat | tasya gātreṣu romāñco ’bhavat | sa dūtān vastrābharaṇaiḥ satkṛtvā mantriṇaṃ samādiśat |

Translation

Vaiśampāyana said: Then King Virāṭa, thrilled with joy and his hairs standing on end, heard the news of victory won by his son of immeasurable prowess. Overcome with delight, he honored the messengers with garments and ornaments and then issued instructions to his minister—showing how a ruler, upon receiving good tidings, should respond with gratitude, generosity, and orderly governance rather than reckless celebration.

Word by Word

• वैशम्पायनः: Vaishampayana
• वैशम्पायनः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: वैशम्पायन
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• उवाच: said
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: Perfect, 3, Singular, Parasmaipada

• ततः: then; thereafter
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः

• विराटः: Virata
• विराटः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: विराट
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• नृपतिः: king
• नृपतिः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृपति
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• सम्प्रहृष्ट-तनुरुहः: whose body-hairs were thrilled (with joy); having horripilation
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्प्रहृष्टतनुरुह
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Janamejaya
• Virāṭa
• Virāṭa's son (kumāra)
• messengers (dūtāḥ)
• minister (mantrī)
• garments (vastrāṇi)
• ornaments (ābharaṇāni)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

A ruler should respond to success with disciplined joy: acknowledge merit, reward loyal service (the messengers), and immediately translate good news into orderly administrative action through trusted ministers.

What is happening in the narrative?

After hearing that his son has achieved victory, King Virāṭa becomes ecstatic (hairs standing on end), honors the messengers with gifts, and then commands his minister—preparing the court’s next steps in response to the victory report.