Mahabharata 1.134.12 — Adi Parva, Adhyaya 134, Shloka 12

Vāraṇāvata-praveśa and Jatugṛha-saṃdeha

Entry into Vāraṇāvata and Suspicion of the Lac-House

Devanagari script

मज्चांश्व॒ कारयामासुस्तत्र जानपदा जना: । विपुलानुच्छुयोपेतान्‌ शिबिकाश्न महाधना:

Transliteration

dhṛtarāṣṭra uvāca |

mañcāṁś ca kārayāmāsus tatra jānapadā janāḥ |

vipulān ucchrayopetān śibikāś ca mahādhanāḥ ||

Translation

ທ້າວທຣິຕະຣາສະຕຣະ ກ່າວວ່າ: ຢູ່ທີ່ນັ້ນ ຊາວບ້ານຊາວເມືອງໄດ້ໃຫ້ສ້າງເວທີນັ່ງ ກວ້າງໃຫຍ່ ແລະຍົກສູງ ພ້ອມທັງໃຫ້ຈັດເຮັດສິບິກາ (ກະເປົາຫາມ/ພາລັງກິນ) ອັນມີຄ່າສູງ. ດັ່ງນັ້ນ ປະຊາຊົນທ້ອງຖິ່ນຜູ້ປາຖະໜາຈະເຫັນການສະແດງສາທາລະນະອັນຍິ່ງໃຫຍ່ ຈຶ່ງຈັດທີ່ນັ່ງ ແລະພາຫະນະຕາມກຳລັງຂອງຕົນ ໃຫ້ປາກົດທັງຄວາມຮ່ວມມືຂອງຊຸມຊົນ ແລະລຳດັບສັງຄົມທີ່ລ້ອມຮອບພິທີຫຼວງ.

Word by Word

• मञ्चान्: platforms/stages
• मञ्चान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: मञ्च
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

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

• अंशून्: rays; (here) canopies/awnings (lit. rays/threads)
• अंशून्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: अंशु
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• कारयामासुः: caused to be made / had made
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (कारयति)
• Form: Perfect (Periphrastic), Third, Plural, Parasmaipada, true

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र

• जानपदाः: countrymen; people of the district
• जानपदाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: जानपद
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• जनाः: people
• जनाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• विपुलान्: large, extensive
• विपुलान्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विपुल
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• उच्छ्रयोपेतान्: endowed with height/elevation
• उच्छ्रयोपेतान्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उच्छ्रय-उपेत
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• शिबिकाः: palanquins
• शिबिकाः: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिबिका
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Plural

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

• महाधनाः: very wealthy
• महाधनाः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महाधन
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

Speaker

धृतराष्ट उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Dhṛtarāṣṭra
• jānapadāḥ janāḥ (people of the countryside)
• mañca (raised platforms)
• śibikā (palanquins)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights collective civic participation in a royal/public event: people contribute according to capacity, reinforcing social coordination and the ordered conduct (maryādā) expected around major ceremonies.

What is happening in the narrative?

In preparation for a large public viewing, local people arrange elevated seating platforms and prepare expensive palanquins, indicating the scale of the gathering and the formal, hierarchical logistics of attendance.