Shloka 7

नलस्य पुष्करजयो द्यूते

Nala’s Victory over Puṣkara in the Dice-Game

Devanagari script

सिक्ता: सुमृष्टपुष्पाब्या राजमार्गा: स्वलंकृता: । द्वारि द्वारि च पौराणां पुष्पभड़: प्रकल्पित:,विदर्भनरेशने ध्वजा, पताकाओंकी पंक्तियोंसे कुण्डिनपुरको अद्भुत शोभासे सम्पन्न किया। सड़कोंको खूब झाड़-बुहारकर उनपर छिड़काव किया गया था। फूलोंसे उन्हें अच्छी तरह सजाया गया था। पुरवासियोंके द्वार-द्वारपर सुगंध फैलानेके लिये राशि-राशि फूल बिखेरे गये थे

Transliteration

Bṛhadaśva uvāca—siktāḥ sumṛṣṭapuṣpābhyā rājamārgāḥ svalankṛtāḥ | dvāri dvāri ca paurāṇāṃ puṣpabhaṇḍaḥ prakalpitaḥ ||

Translation

Jalan-jalan kerajaan diperciki air, disapu bersih, dan dihias indah dengan bunga. Di depan pintu setiap warga kota, disusun timbunan bunga.

Word by Word

सिक्ताःsprinkled, wetted

सुमृष्टपुष्पाभ्याःwith well-arranged flowers

राजमार्गाःroyal roads, main streets

स्वलङ्कृताःwell-decorated

द्वारिat the door

द्वारिat (each) door

चand

पौराणाम्of the townspeople/citizens

पुष्पभाःflower-heaps/flower-masses

प्रकल्पिताःwere arranged/placed

Speaker

बृहृदश्च उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bṛhadaśva

rājamārga (royal roads)

paurāḥ/paurāṇām (townspeople/citizens)

dvāra (doorways)

puṣpa (flowers)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the ethical-cultural ideal of honoring important occasions through cleanliness, beauty, and public order—outer purification and respectful preparation reflecting inner reverence and communal responsibility.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bṛhadaśva describes a city being ceremonially prepared: streets are watered and swept, decorated with flowers, and citizens place heaps of flowers at their doorways, creating a festive and auspicious atmosphere for a significant royal event.