Shloka 3

Devanagari script

विराटस्य सभां गत्वा भूमिपालासनेष्वथ । निषेदु: पावकप्रख्या: सर्वे धिष्ण्येष्विवाग्नय:,वैशम्पायनजी कहते हैं-जनमेजय! तदनन्तर नियत समयतक अपनी प्रतिज्ञाका पालन करके अग्निके समान तेजस्वी पाँचों भाई महारथी पाण्डव तीसरे दिन स्नान करके श्वेत वस्त्र धारणकर समस्त राजोचित आभूषणोंसे विभूषित हो राजसभामें द्वारपर स्थित मदोन्मत्त गजराजोंकी भाँति सुशोभित होने लगे। वे राजा युधिष्ठिरको आगे करके विराटकी सभामें गये और राजाओंके लिये रखे हुए सिंहासनोंपर बैठे। उस समय वे भिन्न-भिन्न यज्ञवेदियोंपर प्रज्वलित अग्नियोंके समान प्रकाशित हो रहे थे

Transliteration

vaiśampāyana uvāca |

virāṭasya sabhāṃ gatvā bhūmipālāsaneṣv atha |

niṣeduḥ pāvakaprakhyāḥ sarve dhiṣṇyeṣv ivāgnayaḥ ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana said: Having gone to King Virāṭa’s royal assembly, they then took their seats upon the thrones set apart for kings. All of them—radiant like fire—sat shining like sacred flames kindled upon their respective altars.

Word by Word

विराटस्यof Virāṭa

सभाम्assembly hall

गत्वाhaving gone

भूमिपालking (protector of the earth)

आसनेषुon the seats/thrones

अथthen

निषेदुःsat down

पावकप्रख्याःfire-like, resembling fire

सर्वेall

धिष्ण्येषुon the hearths/altars (sacrificial platforms)

इवlike, as if

अग्नयःfires

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Virāṭa

royal assembly (sabhā)

thrones/seats of kings (bhūmipālāsana)

fires/flames (pāvaka/agnayaḥ)

altars/hearths (dhiṣṇya)

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 verse highlights tejas (inner radiance) expressed through disciplined, rightful conduct: even in another king’s court, noble persons maintain dignity and propriety, shining by character rather than by mere display.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana describes the heroes entering King Virāṭa’s assembly and taking seats reserved for kings; their collective presence is compared to multiple sacred fires blazing on their respective altars.