Shloka 50

Devanagari script

अथोत्तर: शुभैर्गन्धैर्माल्यैश्व विविधैस्तथा । अवकीर्यमाण: संद्ृष्टो नगरं स्वैरमागत:

Transliteration

athottaraḥ śubhair gandhair mālyaiś ca vividhaiḥ tathā | avakīryamāṇaḥ saṃdṛṣṭo nagaraṃ svairam āgataḥ ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana dit : Alors on vit Uttara revenir à la cité en toute aisance, tandis qu’on le couvrait de parfums de bon augure et de guirlandes de toutes sortes.

Word by Word

अथthen/now

उत्तरःthe latter/next (one)

शुभैःwith auspicious (things)

गन्धैःwith fragrances/perfumes

माल्यैःwith garlands

चand

विविधैःwith various (ones)

तथाthus/also

अवकीर्यमाणःbeing showered/scattered upon

संदृष्टःwas seen/appeared

नगरम्the city

स्वैरम्at will/freely (as an adverbial accusative)

आगतःhaving come/arrived

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Uttara

nagara (the city, i.e., Virāṭa’s capital)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how society publicly honors a successful return with auspicious rites (garlands, perfumes). Ethically, it reflects the cultural value of recognizing achievement and safety with gratitude and communal celebration, while also showing how public perception and honor are conferred through visible symbols.

What is happening in the narrative?

Uttara is seen coming back into the city calmly, while people shower him with fragrant substances and garlands—an image of festive reception and acclaim following the preceding events in the Virāṭa narrative.