Shloka 8

नलस्य पुष्करजयो द्यूते

Nala’s Victory over Puṣkara in the Dice-Game

Devanagari script

अर्चितानि च सर्वाणि देवतायतनानि च । ऋतुपर्णोडपि शुभ्राव बाहुकच्छझिनं नलम्‌

Transliteration

arcitāni ca sarvāṇi devatāyatanāni ca | ṛtuparṇo 'pi śubhrāva bāhukacchāyinaṃ nalam ||

Translation

ブリハダシュヴァは語った。「神々の社はことごとく、しかるべき供養を受けた。さらに、輝く車に乗るリトゥパルナ王もまた、傍らにナラ――いまはバーフカと名を変えて身を隠す者――を従えて、ひときわ光を放っていた。」

Word by Word

• अर्चितानि: were worshipped/honoured
• अर्चितानि: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अर्चित (√अर्च्)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Plural

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

• सर्वाणि: all
• सर्वाणि: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Plural

• देवतायतनानि: temples/shrines of the gods
• देवतायतनानि: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवतायतन
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Plural

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

• ऋतुपर्णः: R̥tuparṇa (name of a king)
• ऋतुपर्णः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋतुपर्ण
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• अपि: also/even
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि

• शुभ्रौ: the two fair/bright (ones)
• शुभ्रौ: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुभ्र
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Dual

• बाहुकः: Bāhuka (name/disguise of Nala)
• बाहुकः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: बाहुक
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• छद्मिनम्: disguised, in concealment
• छद्मिनम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: छद्मिन्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• नलम्: Nala
• नलम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: नल
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

बृहृदश्च उवाच

Characters & Entities

• बृहदश्व (Bṛhadaśva)
• ऋतुपर्ण (Ṛtuparṇa)
• नल (Nala)
• बाहुक (Bāhuka)
• देवतायतन (temples/shrines of the gods)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even amid concealment and hardship, dharmic conduct continues through reverence to the divine and proper observance of sacred places; outer disguise does not negate inner nobility and right action.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bṛhadaśva describes Ṛtuparṇa’s journey in which the king appears splendid, with Nala—hidden under the name Bāhuka—close by; along the way, the party honours the gods by worshipping the temples they encounter.