Shloka 27

Devanagari script

“एक मनुष्य शीघ्र ही हाथमें घण्टा लिये मतवाले गजराजपर बैठ जाय और नगरके समस्त चौराहोंपर हमारी विजयका संवाद सुनावे। राजकुमारी उत्तरा भी उत्तम शुड्भधार और सुन्दर वेष-भूषासे सुशोभित हो अन्य राजकुमारियोंके साथ मेरे पुत्रकी अगवानीमें जाय ।। वैशम्पायन उवाच श्रुत्वा चेद॑ वचन॑ पार्थिवस्य सर्व पुरं स्वस्तिकपाणि भूतम्‌ । भेयश्व॒ तूर्याणि च वारिजाश्न वेषै: परार्घ्य: प्रमदा: शुभाश्न,वैशम्पायनजी कहते हैं--राजन्‌! राजाकी इस आज्ञाको सुनकर बहुमूल्य वेशभूषासे सुशोभित सौभाग्यवती तरुणी स्त्रियों, सूत, मागध और बंदीजनोंसहित समस्त पुरवासी, हाथोंमें मांगलिक वस्तुएँ लेकर भेरी, तूर्य, शंख तथा पणव आदि मांगलिक बाजे साथ लिये महाबली विराटके अनन्त पराक्रमी पुत्र उत्तरकी अगवानी करनेके लिये नगरसे बाहर गये

Transliteration

vaiśampāyana uvāca | śrutvā cedaṁ vacanaṁ pārthivasya sarvaṁ puraṁ svastikapāṇi bhūtam | bherīś ca tūryāṇi ca vārijāś ca veṣaiḥ parārghyaiḥ pramadāḥ śubhāś ca ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana said: Hearing the king’s command, the entire city set out with auspicious emblems in their hands. With kettledrums, trumpets, conches, and other festive instruments resounding, and with young married women adorned in costly garments and fine ornaments, along with charioteers, heralds, and bards, the townspeople went outside the gates to welcome the mighty prince Uttara.

Word by Word

वैशम्पायनःVaishampayana

उवाचsaid

श्रुत्वाhaving heard

चand

एतत्this

वचनम्speech/command

पार्थिवस्यof the king

सर्वम्all/entire

पुरम्city

स्वस्तिकपाणिhaving auspicious tokens in hand

भूतम्having become/being

भेर्यःkettle-drums

चand

तूर्याणिmusical instruments

चand

वारिजाश्नconch (lit. lotus-born; epithet)

वेषैःwith garments/attires

परार्घ्यैःvery precious/costly

प्रमदाःyoung women

शुभाःauspicious/fortunate

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Virāṭa (king, implied by 'pārthiva')

Uttara (prince of Virāṭa)

Uttarā (princess, in the prose context)

the city of Virāṭa / the capital (pura)

sūta (charioteers)

māgadha (heralds/panegyrists)

bandin (bards/praisers)

svastika/maṅgala objects

bherī

tūrya

śaṅkha (conch, by context)

paṇava (drum, in the prose context)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The passage highlights rājanīti and social dharma: a king’s command organizes public life, and victory is marked through auspicious, orderly celebration that strengthens communal morale and honors the returning warrior without descending into chaos or cruelty.

What is happening in the narrative?

After the king’s order to announce victory and arrange a reception, the citizens—along with professional heralds and musicians—go out of the city with auspicious symbols and festive instruments to welcome Prince Uttara in a formal victory procession.