Shloka 7

धृतराष्ट्रस्य शोकविलापः — Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Lament and Inquiry to Sañjaya

Devanagari script

उनके यूपमें सुवर्णमय >चषाल और प्रचषाल लगे हुए थे। उनके यहाँ तेरह हजार अप्सराएँ नृत्य करती थीं ।। यत्र वीणां वादयति प्रीत्या विश्वावसु: स्वयम्‌ । सर्वभूतान्यमन्यन्त राजानं सत्यशीलिनम्‌,उस समय वहाँ साक्षात्‌ गन्धर्वराज विश्वावसु प्रेमपूर्वक वीणा बजाते थे। समस्त प्राणी राजा दिलीपको सत्यवादी मानते थे

Transliteration

yūpeṣu suvarṇamayaś caṣālāḥ pracaṣālāś ca saṃniviṣṭāḥ | tatra trayodaśa-sahasrāṇy apsarasaḥ nṛtyanti || yatra vīṇāṃ vādayati prītyā viśvāvasuḥ svayam | sarvabhūtāny amanyanta rājānaṃ satyaśīlinam ||

Translation

Ses poteaux sacrificiels étaient munis de caṣāla et de pracaṣāla d’or. Dans cette demeure royale, treize mille Apsaras dansaient. Là, le roi des Gandharvas, Viśvāvasu lui-même, ému d’affection, faisait résonner la vīṇā ; et tous les êtres tenaient le roi pour inébranlable dans la vérité — modèle de parole véridique et de royauté juste selon le dharma.

Word by Word

• {'yūpa': 'sacrificial post (used in Vedic rites)', 'suvarṇamaya': 'made of gold, golden', 'caṣālā': 'cap/finial fixed atop a sacrificial post', 'pracaṣālā': 'additional cap/ornamental fitting on the post (an accessory/extension of the caṣālā)', 'apsaras': 'celestial nymph

• divine dancer', 'trayodaśa-sahasra': 'thirteen thousand', 'nṛtyanti': 'they dance', 'yatra': 'where', 'vīṇā': 'lute

• stringed instrument', 'vādayati': 'plays (an instrument)', 'prītyā': 'with affection, gladly', 'viśvāvasu': 'Viśvāvasu, a Gandharva (often styled as Gandharva-king)', 'svayam': 'himself', 'sarvabhūta': 'all beings/creatures', 'amanyanta': 'they considered, they thought', 'rājan': 'king', 'satyaśīlin': 'one whose conduct is grounded in truth

Speaker

नारद उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Nārada
• Viśvāvasu
• Gandharva-king (Viśvāvasu)
• Apsarases
• King Dilīpa
• yūpa (sacrificial posts)
• caṣālā/pracaṣālā (golden post-caps/ornaments)
• vīṇā

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse elevates satya (truth) as a defining royal virtue: a king’s ethical credibility—being satyaśīlin—wins universal trust and is portrayed as attracting auspiciousness, prosperity, and even divine celebration.

What is happening in the narrative?

Nārada describes a splendid, merit-filled royal-sacrificial setting: golden-adorned yūpas, vast celestial dance, and Viśvāvasu’s music—framing King Dilīpa’s reign as righteous and honored by all beings.