Shloka 136

Śiśupāla’s Protest Against the Arghya to Kṛṣṇa (शिशुपाल-आक्षेपः)

Devanagari script

राजानो राजपुत्राश्न नानाजनपदेश्वरा: । धृतराष्ट्र

Transliteration

vaiśampāyana uvāca | rājāno rājaputrāś ca nānājanapadeśvarāḥ | dhṛtarāṣṭro bhīṣmo mahābuddhimān viduro duryodhanādayaś ca bhrātaraḥ | gāndhārarājaḥ subalaḥ mahābalī śakuniḥ | acalaḥ vṛṣakaḥ rathināṃ śreṣṭhaḥ karṇaḥ | balavān rājā śalyaḥ mahābalī bāhlikaḥ somadattaḥ kurunandanaḥ bhūriḥ bhūriśravāḥ śālaḥ aśvatthāmā kṛpācāryaḥ droṇācāryaḥ | sindhurājaḥ jayadrathaḥ | putraiḥ saha drupadaḥ rājā śālvaḥ | prāgjyotiṣapurasya nareśo mahārathī bhagadattaḥ | samudradvīpanivāsinaḥ sarvajātīyā mlecchāś ca | pārvatīyā nṛpatayaḥ rājā bṛhadvadhaḥ pauṇḍrako vāsudevaḥ | vaṅgadeśasya rājānaḥ kaliṅganareśaḥ | ākarṣaḥ kuntalaḥ mālavaḥ āndhraḥ drāviḍaḥ siṃhaladeśanareśāḥ | kāśmīranareśaḥ mahātejasvī kuntibhojaḥ rājā gauravāhanaḥ bāhlikādayaś ca anye śūrā nṛpatayaḥ | ubhābhyāṃ putrābhyāṃ saha virāṭaḥ mahābalī māvellaḥ ca | nānājanapadeśvarā rājānaś ca rājaputrāś ca tasmin yajñe samāgatāḥ ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana berkata: Para raja dan pangeran—penguasa banyak negeri—berkumpul untuk yajña itu. Datanglah Dhṛtarāṣṭra dan Bhīṣma, Vidura yang berhikmat, Duryodhana beserta saudara-saudaranya; raja Gandhāra Subala dan Śakuni yang perkasa; Acala dan Vṛṣaka; Karṇa, terbaik di antara para kesatria-kereta; raja Śalya yang kuat; Bāhlika yang gagah; Somadatta; Bhūri dan Bhūriśravas, kebanggaan Kuru; Śāla; Aśvatthāmā; Kṛpa dan Droṇa; Jayadratha, raja Sindhu; Drupada bersama putra-putranya; raja Śālva; serta Bhagadatta, mahāratha penguasa Prāgjyotiṣa, bahkan disertai kaum Mleccha penghuni pulau-pulau samudra. Datang pula raja-raja pegunungan—Bṛhadvadha, Pauṇḍraka Vāsudeva, raja-raja Vaṅga dan Kaliṅga, para penguasa Ākarṣa, Kuntala, Mālava, Āndhra, Drāviḍa, dan Siṃhala; raja Kāśmīra; Kuntibhoja yang bercahaya; Gauravāhana; para Bāhlika dan raja-raja gagah lainnya. Virāṭa hadir bersama dua putranya, demikian pula Māvella yang perkasa, beserta banyak penguasa dan pangeran dari berbagai negeri.

Word by Word

• राजानः: kings
• राजानः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• राजपुत्राः: princes (sons of kings)
• राजपुत्राः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजपुत्र
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

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

• नानाजनपदेश्वराः: lords/rulers of various countries
• नानाजनपदेश्वराः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: नानाजनपदेश्वर
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Dhṛtarāṣṭra
• Bhīṣma
• Vidura
• Duryodhana
• Gandhāra
• Subala
• Śakuni
• Acala
• Vṛṣaka
• Karṇa
• Śalya
• Bāhlika
• Somadatta
• Bhūri
• Bhūriśravas
• Śāla
• Aśvatthāmā
• Kṛpa
• Droṇa
• Sindhu
• Jayadratha
• Drupada
• Śālva
• Prāgjyotiṣapura
• Bhagadatta
• Samudradvīpa (oceanic islands)
• Mlecchas
• Bṛhadvadha
• Pauṇḍraka Vāsudeva
• Vaṅga
• Kaliṅga
• Ākarṣa
• Kuntala
• Mālava
• Āndhra
• Drāviḍa
• Siṃhala
• Kāśmīra
• Kuntibhoja
• Gauravāhana
• Virāṭa
• Māvella
• Yajña (sacrifice)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how yajña and royal assemblies function as public markers of dharma and sovereignty, yet the ethical tension lies in the contrast between outward ritual legitimacy and the inner rivalries of power that can lead to adharma and conflict.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana enumerates the many kings, princes, and renowned warriors who arrived from diverse regions to attend the great sacrificial event, emphasizing the scale of the gathering and the political reach of the occasion.