Shloka 12

Nāradasya Rājadharma-praśnāḥ

Nārada’s Examination of Royal Ethics

Devanagari script

सभास्थान्‌ पाण्डवान द्र॒ष्टं प्रीयमाणो मनोजव: । जयाशीलभिंस्तु त॑ं विप्रो धर्मराजानमार्चयत्‌

Transliteration

sabhāsthān pāṇḍavān draṣṭuṁ prīyamāṇo manojavaḥ | jayāśīrbhis tu taṁ vipro dharmarājānam ārcayat ||

Translation

വൈശമ്പായനൻ പറഞ്ഞു—മനസ്സിനോളം വേഗമുള്ള ആ ബ്രാഹ്മണൻ സഭയിൽ ഇരുന്ന പാണ്ഡവരെ കണ്ടു സന്തോഷിച്ചു; ജയാശീർവാദവചനങ്ങളാൽ ധർമ്മരാജനെ ആദരിച്ചു.

Word by Word

सभास्थान्assembly-hall places/seats

पाण्डवान्the Pāṇḍavas

द्रष्टुम्to see

प्रीयमाणःrejoicing/being pleased

मनोजवःswift as the mind

जयाशीलभिःby/with those of victorious disposition

तुbut/indeed

तम्him

विप्रःthe brāhmaṇa

धर्मराजानम्Dharmarāja (Yudhiṣṭhira)

अर्चयत्worshipped/honoured

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Pāṇḍavas

Vipra (a Brahmin)

Dharmarāja (Yudhiṣṭhira)

Sabhā (assembly hall)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the ethical order of the court: a righteous king (Dharmarāja) is worthy of reverence, and a Brahmin’s blessing of victory functions as a moral endorsement of dharmic governance and proper social conduct.

What is happening in the narrative?

A Brahmin, pleased to see the Pāṇḍavas in the assembly, approaches Yudhiṣṭhira and honors him by offering auspicious blessings for victory.