Shloka 20

Devanagari script

कालेनाल्पेनाथ निष्ठां गतां तां सभां रम्यां बहुरत्नां विचित्राम्‌ । चित्रैहैमैरासनैर भ्युपेता- माचख्युस्ते तस्य राज्ञ: प्रतीता:

Transliteration

kālenālpennātha niṣṭhāṃ gatāṃ tāṃ sabhāṃ ramyāṃ bahuratnāṃ vicitrām | citrair haimair āsanair abhyupetām ācakhyus te tasya rājñaḥ pratītāḥ ||

Translation

Em pouco tempo, aquele esplêndido salão de assembleia—variado e adornado com muitas joias, provido de assentos dourados ricamente trabalhados—ficou concluído. Os que o conheciam bem então o descreveram ao rei, apresentando-o como uma maravilha digna de seu reconhecimento e agrado.

Word by Word

कालेनby time

अल्पेनby a little (time), in a short while

अथthen

निष्ठाम्completion, final state

गताम्gone to, having reached

ताम्that

सभाम्assembly hall

रम्याम्beautiful

बहुरत्नाम्rich in many gems

विचित्राम्variegated, splendid

चित्रैःwith splendid/variegated (ones)

हैमैर्golden

आसनैःwith seats/thrones

अभ्युपेताendowed with, furnished with

आचख्युःthey described/told

तेthey

तस्यof him/that

राज्ञःof the king

प्रतीताःwell-known, approved/accepted

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

sabhā (assembly hall)

haima-āsana (golden seats)

rājā (the king, unnamed in this verse)

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 how royal power expresses itself through public institutions—here, the sabhā—where splendor and order are displayed. Ethically, it foreshadows how external magnificence can become a stage for testing restraint, judgment, and dharma in courtly life.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaishampayana reports that the magnificent assembly hall was completed quickly, richly decorated and furnished with golden seats, and that knowledgeable people described its finished grandeur to the king.