Shloka 23

कृपवाक्यं तथा नीत्युपदेशः

Kṛpa’s Counsel and a Discourse on Statecraft

Devanagari script

गुणवन्ति च पेयानि भोज्यानि रसवन्ति च । तत्र देशे भविष्यन्ति यत्र राजा युधिष्ठिर:,“जिस देशमें राजा युधिष्ठिर होंगे, वहाँ गुणकारी पेय और सरस भोज्य पदार्थ सुलभ होंगे

Transliteration

guṇavanti ca peyāni bhojyāni rasavanti ca | tatra deśe bhaviṣyanti yatra rājā yudhiṣṭhiraḥ ||

Translation

വൈശമ്പായനൻ പറഞ്ഞു— രാജാ യുധിഷ്ഠിരൻ വസിക്കുന്ന ദേശത്ത് ഗുണകരമായ പാനീയങ്ങളും രസവത്തായ ഭോജ്യവസ്തുക്കളും സമൃദ്ധമായി ലഭിക്കും; ധർമ്മരാജ്യത്തിൽ ജനക്ഷേമവും സമൃദ്ധിയും വിരിയുന്നതിന്റെ ശുഭലക്ഷണം ഇതാണ്.

Word by Word

गुणवन्तिpossessing good qualities, beneficial

चand

पेयानिdrinkables, beverages

भोज्यानिedibles, foods fit to be eaten

रसवन्तिtasty, full of flavor/juice

चand

तत्रthere, in that place

देशेin the country/region

भविष्यन्तिwill be, will exist/occur

यत्रwhere

राजाking

युधिष्ठिरःYudhiṣṭhira

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Yudhiṣṭhira

deśa (land/region)

peyāni (drinks)

bhojyāni (foods)

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 links dharmic kingship with public welfare: where a righteous ruler like Yudhiṣṭhira is present, the land naturally becomes prosperous, providing wholesome drinks and nourishing, tasty food—symbolizing abundance and well-being under ethical governance.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana describes an auspicious condition of the region associated with Yudhiṣṭhira: the availability of quality beverages and flavorful foods. It functions as a narrative marker of good fortune and the beneficial influence of Yudhiṣṭhira’s presence and rule.