Shloka 15

Adhyāya 52 (Sabhā-parva): Vidura Invites Yudhiṣṭhira to Hastināpura for the Dice Match

Devanagari script

अम्बष्ठा: कौकुरास्तार्क्ष्या वस्त्रपा: पह्ववैः सह । वशातलाश्च मौलेया: सह क्षुद्रकमालवै:

Transliteration

ambaṣṭhāḥ kaukurās tārkṣyā vastrapāḥ pahvavaiḥ saha | vaśātalāś ca mauleyāḥ saha kṣudrakamālavaiḥ ||

Translation

Дурьодхана сказал: «Амбаштхи (Ambaṣṭha), Каукуры (Kaukura), Таркшьи (Tārkṣya), Вастрапы (Vastrapā) вместе с Пахвава (Pahvava); и Вашаталы (Vaśātala) и Маулеи (Mauleyā) вместе с Кшудрака-Малавами (Kṣudraka-Mālava).»

Word by Word

• अम्बष्ठाः: Ambashthas (a people/tribe)
• अम्बष्ठाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अम्बष्ठ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• कौकुराः: Kaukuras (a people/tribe)
• कौकुराः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: कौकुर
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• तार्क्ष्याः: Tarkshyas (a people/tribe)
• तार्क्ष्याः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: तार्क्ष्य
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• वस्त्रपाः: Vastrapas (a people/tribe)
• वस्त्रपाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: वस्त्रप
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• पह्ववैः: with the Pahvavas (a people/tribe)
• पह्ववैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: पह्वव
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• सह: together with
• सह: Karana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सह

• वशातलाः: Vashatalas (a people/tribe)
• वशातलाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: वशातल
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

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

• मौलेयाः: Mauleyas (a people/tribe)
• मौलेयाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: मौलेय
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• सह: together with
• सह: Karana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सह

• क्षुद्रकमालवैः: with the Kshudrakamalavas (a people/tribe)
• क्षुद्रकमालवैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षुद्रकमालव
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

Speaker

दुर्योधन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• दुर्योधन (Duryodhana)
• अम्बष्ठ (Ambaṣṭha)
• कौकुर (Kaukura)
• तार्क्ष्य (Tārkṣya)
• वस्त्रप (Vastrapa)
• पह्वव (Pahvava)
• वशातल (Vaśātala)
• मौलेय (Mauleyā)
• क्षुद्रक (Kṣudraka)
• मालव (Mālava)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse illustrates how political ambition can treat communities as mere entries in a ledger of strength. In the Sabha Parva’s moral atmosphere, such counting and comparison often signals attachment to power and status rather than a dharma-centered view of kingship.

What is happening in the narrative?

Duryodhana is speaking and enumerating various peoples/tribes, grouping them with “saha” (together with). The passage functions as part of a broader catalog of regional groups relevant to the court’s political-military calculations in the Sabha Parva.