Shloka 25

Adhyāya 52 (Sabhā-parva): Vidura Invites Yudhiṣṭhira to Hastināpura for the Dice Match

Devanagari script

कृती राजा च कौरव्य शूकराणां विशाम्पते । अददाद्‌ गजरत्नानां शतानि सुबहून्यथ,महाराज! शूकरदेशके पुण्यात्मा राजाने कई सौ गजरत्न भेंट किये

Transliteration

kṛtī rājā ca kauravya śūkarāṇāṃ viśāmpate | adadād gajaratnānāṃ śatāni subahūny atha, mahārāja |

Translation

Duryodhana dit : «Ô Kauravya, seigneur du peuple ! Le roi habile du pays de Śūkara, ô grand roi, offrit des centaines — oui, un très grand nombre — d’éléphants-trésors en présent.»

Word by Word

• कृती: skilful, capable
• कृती: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृतिन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• राजा: king
• राजा: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• कौरव्य: O Kauravya (descendant of Kuru)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कौरव्य
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• शूकराणाम्: of the Śūkaras / of boars (context: people/region named Śūkara)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शूकर
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• विशाम्पते: O lord of the people
• Type: Noun
• Root: विशाम्पति
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• अददात्: gave
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा
• Form: Imperfect (Laṅ), 3rd, Singular

• गजरत्नानाम्: of elephant-gems / precious elephants
• Type: Noun
• Root: गजरत्न
• Form: Neuter, Genitive, Plural

• शतानि: hundreds
• शतानि: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: शत
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Plural

• सुबहूनि: very many
• सुबहूनि: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुबहु
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Plural

• अथ: then, moreover
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ

• महाराज: O great king
• Type: Noun
• Root: महाराज
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

Speaker

दुर्योधन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Duryodhana
• Dhṛtarāṣṭra (implied by vocatives kauravya, viśāmpate, mahārāja)
• Śūkara-deśa / Śūkara people
• gajaratna (excellent elephants)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how royal generosity and the display of wealth (here, prized elephants) function as instruments of prestige and political influence in a courtly setting—raising questions about how power can be reinforced through material gifts.

What is happening in the narrative?

Duryodhana is describing to Dhṛtarāṣṭra the lavish gifts given by a king from the Śūkara region—specifically, hundreds of excellent elephants—within a broader account meant to emphasize grandeur and the scale of royal exchanges.