Shloka 14

Adhyāya 32: Rājasūya-Dīkṣā and Appointment of Court Offices (राजसूयदीक्षा तथा अधिकारविनियोगः)

Devanagari script

स चास्य गतभी राजन्‌ प्रतिजग्राह शासनम्‌ | तत: शाकलमभ्येत्य मद्राणां पुटभेदनम्‌

Transliteration

sa cāsya gatabhī rājan pratijagrāha śāsanam | tataḥ śākalam abhyetya madrāṇāṃ puṭabhedanam mātulaṃ prītipūrveṇa śalyaṃ cakre vaśe balī |

Translation

Wahai raja, ia pun bebas dari gentar dan menerima perintah Nakula. Lalu, setelah menaklukkan Śākala, Nakula yang perkasa memasuki Puṭabhedana, ibu kota bangsa Madra, dan dengan kasih sayang semata ia membawa paman dari pihak ibu, Śalya, ke dalam pengaruhnya.

Word by Word

• सः: he
• सः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

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

• अस्य: of him / his
• अस्य: Sambandha
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: इदम्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Singular

• गतभीः: fearless (lit. fear gone)
• गतभीः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गतभी
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• राजन्: O king
• राजन्: Sambodhana
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन्
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• प्रतिजग्राह: accepted
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्रति-ग्रह्
• Form: Perfect (Liṭ), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• शासनम्: command / rule / order
• शासनम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: शासन
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• ततः: then / thereafter
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः

• शाकलम्: Śākala (city/region)
• शाकलम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: शाकल
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• अभ्येत्य: having approached / having gone to
• Type: Verb
• Root: अभि-इ
• Form: क्त्वा (gerund), Parasmaipada

• मद्राणाम्: of the Madras
• मद्राणाम्: Sambandha
• Type: Noun
• Root: मद्र
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• पुटभेदनम्: the breaking/opening of the (city-)enclosure; conquest (of the capital)
• पुटभेदनम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुट-भेदन
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• मातुलम्: maternal uncle
• मातुलम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: मातुल
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• प्रीतिपूर्वेण: with affection / out of love
• प्रीतिपूर्वेण: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रीति-पूर्व
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• शल्यम्: Śalya
• शल्यम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: शल्य
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

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

• चक्रे: made
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ
• Form: Perfect (Liṭ), 3rd, Singular, Atmanepada

• वशे: under control / in subjection
• वशे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: वश
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• बली: the strong one
• बली: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बलिन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Janamejaya (implied by rājan)
• Nakula
• Śākala
• Madra (Madrāḥ)
• Puṭabhedana
• Śalya

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Authority can be established not only through coercion but also through fearlessness, goodwill, and respectful kinship ties; voluntary acceptance and affectionate diplomacy are presented as ethically preferable means of securing political order.

What is happening in the narrative?

Nakula accepts the given command, advances to Śākala, then enters Puṭabhedana (the Madra capital) and brings Śalya—his maternal uncle—into subordination through affection, indicating a blend of conquest and conciliatory alliance.