Shloka 132

नलस्य बाहुकत्वेन ऋतुपर्णनगरप्रवेशः

Nala as Bāhuka enters Ṛtuparṇa’s city

Devanagari script

सार्थवाह उवाच सार्थोडयं चेदिराजस्य सुबाहो: सत्यदर्शिन: । क्षिप्रं जनपदं गन्ता लाभाय मनुजात्मजे,सार्थवाहने कहा--राजकुमारी! हमारा यह दल शीघ्र ही सत्यदर्शी चेदिराज सुबाहुके जनपद (नगर)-में विशेष लाभके उद्देश्यसे जायगा

Transliteration

sārthavāha uvāca | sārtho 'yaṃ cedīrājasya subāhoḥ satyadarśinaḥ | kṣipraṃ janapadaṃ gantā lābhāya manujātmaje ||

Translation

The caravan-leader said: “O princess, this caravan will quickly go to the territory of Subāhu, the king of Cedi, a man of truthful vision, in order to gain profit for the son of a man (i.e., for a human being/for our patron).”

Word by Word

सार्थवाहःthe caravan-leader

उवाचsaid/spoke

सार्थःthe caravan/company

अयम्this

चेत्if

चेदिराजस्यof the king of Cedi

सुबाहोःof Subāhu

सत्यदर्शिनःof the truth-seeing (one)

क्षिप्रम्quickly

जनपदम्to the country/territory

गन्ताwill go / is going (as goer)

लाभायfor gain/profit

मनुजात्मजेin/at the son of a man (i.e., among humans / in a human-born one)

Speaker

सार्थवाह उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sārthavāha (caravan-leader)

Cedi (country/kingdom)

Subāhu (king of Cedi)

Janapada (territory/realm)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

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 a practical ethic of trade and travel: seek livelihood and profit, but under the shelter of a ruler described as satyadarśin—one who is truthful and clear-sighted—implying that prosperity is safest where governance is grounded in truth.

What is happening in the narrative?

A caravan-leader addresses a royal maiden and explains their immediate plan: the trading caravan will soon depart for the Cedi realm ruled by King Subāhu, aiming at commercial gain and security in that territory.