Shloka 24

Virāṭanagara-nivāsa-nirṇaya

Decision to Reside in Virāṭa’s City

Devanagari script

सभास्तारो भविष्यामि तस्य राज्ञों महात्मन: । कड्को नाम द्विजो भूत्वा मताक्ष: प्रियदेवन:

Transliteration

yudhiṣṭhira uvāca | sabhāstaro bhaviṣyāmi tasya rājño mahātmanaḥ | kaṅko nāma dvijo bhūtvā matākṣaḥ priyadevanaḥ ||

Translation

Юдхиштхира сказал: «Я стану членом царского собрания великодушного царя Вираты. Взяв имя Канкa и приняв облик брахмана — искусного в игре в кости и любящего её, — я останусь там как придворный спутник.»

Word by Word

• सभास्तारः: a member/attendant of the assembly
• सभास्तारः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: सभास्तार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• भविष्यामि: I will become
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: Simple Future (लृट्), First, Singular

• तस्य: of that
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Singular

• राज्ञः: of the king
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• महात्मनः: of the great-souled
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महात्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• कङ्कः: Kanka (name)
• कङ्कः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: कङ्क (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• नाम: by name
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नाम (अव्यय)

• द्विजः: a Brahmin (twice-born)
• द्विजः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• भूत्वा: having become
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा (absolutive/gerund), Active

• मताक्षः: one whose eyes are fixed on the dice (a gambler/dice-player)
• मताक्षः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मताक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• प्रियदेवनः: one dear to the gods / having dear gods
• प्रियदेवनः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रियदेवन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

युधिछिर उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Yudhiṣṭhira
• King Virāṭa
• Kaṅka (alias of Yudhiṣṭhira)
• royal assembly (sabhā)
• dice (akṣa)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even while living in disguise and under constraint, Yudhiṣṭhira chooses a socially plausible role aligned with his known skill (dice), highlighting prudence and adaptability; at the same time, the verse implicitly recalls the ethical danger of gambling and the need for restraint and vigilance.

What is happening in the narrative?

As the Pāṇḍavas plan their incognito year in King Virāṭa’s realm, Yudhiṣṭhira declares he will enter the king’s court as a brāhmaṇa named Kaṅka and serve as a member of the royal assembly, known for expertise in dice-play.