Shloka 24

Devanagari script

कुमारा योधमुख्याश्च गणिकाश्न स्वलंकृता: । वादित्राणि च सर्वाणि प्रत्युद्यान्तु सुतं मम

Transliteration

kumārā yodhamukhyāś ca gaṇikāś ca suvalaṅkṛtāḥ | vāditrāṇi ca sarvāṇi pratyudyāntu sutaṃ mama ||

Translation

കുമാരന്മാരും പ്രമുഖ യോദ്ധാക്കളും നന്നായി അലങ്കരിച്ച ഗണികകളും എല്ലാ തരത്തിലുള്ള വാദ്യങ്ങളും—ഇവയെല്ലാം എന്റെ പുത്രനെ വരവേൽക്കാൻ എതിരേയ്ക്ക് പുറപ്പെടട്ടെ.

Word by Word

कुमाराःboys/young princes

योधमुख्याःchief warriors

चand

गणिकाःcourtesans

स्वलङ्कृताःwell-adorned

वादित्राणिmusical instruments

चand

सर्वाणिall

प्रत्युद्यान्तुlet (them) go forth to meet / welcome

सुतम्son

ममmy

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

kumārāḥ (princes)

yodhamukhyāḥ (chief warriors)

gaṇikāḥ (courtesans/entertainers)

vāditrāṇi (musical instruments)

suta (the speaker’s son)

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 dharma of reception and public honor in royal culture: welcoming a returning or arriving person—especially one of significance—through orderly participation of court members and auspicious music, reflecting social roles and ceremonial propriety.

What is happening in the narrative?

A formal welcome is being arranged: princes, leading warriors, and entertainers, together with all musical instruments, are instructed to go out in procession to receive “my son,” indicating a celebratory, court-sanctioned reception.