Shloka 18

यमसभावर्णनम् (Yamasabhā-varṇanam) — Nārada’s Description of Dharmarāja’s Assembly

Devanagari script

राजा दशरथश्चैव ककुत्स्थो5थ प्रवर्धन: । अलर्क: कक्षसेनश्न गयो गौराश्वच एवच

Transliteration

rājā daśarathaś caiva kakutstho ’tha pravardhanaḥ | alarkaḥ kakṣasenaś ca gayo gaurāśvaś caiva ca ||

Translation

नारद उवाच—राजा दशरथश्चैव ककुत्स्थोऽथ प्रवर्धनः । अलर्कः कक्षसेनश्च गयो गौराश्व एव च ॥

Word by Word

• राजा: king
• राजा: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• दशरथः: Daśaratha
• दशरथः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: दशरथ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

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

• एव: indeed/also
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

• ककुत्स्थः: Kakutstha (name/epithet of a king of the Ikṣvāku line)
• ककुत्स्थः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: ककुत्स्थ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• अथ: then/and next
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ

• प्रवर्धनः: Pravardhana (name of a king)
• प्रवर्धनः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रवर्धन
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• अलर्कः: Alarka (name of a king)
• अलर्कः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अलर्क
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• कक्षसेनः: Kakṣasena (name; lit. 'having an army in the flank/side')
• कक्षसेनः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: कक्षसेन
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

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

• गयः: Gaya (name of a king)
• गयः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: गय
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• गौराश्वः: Gaurāśva (name; lit. 'having pale/white horses')
• गौराश्वः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: गौराश्व
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

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

• एव: also/indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

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

Speaker

नारद उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Nārada
• Daśaratha
• Kakutstha
• Pravardhana
• Alarka
• Kakṣasena
• Gaya
• Gaurāśva

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse reinforces the Mahābhārata’s ethical emphasis on righteous kingship: remembering celebrated rulers functions as a moral archive, implying that a king’s lasting renown depends on sustaining dharma and good governance.

What is happening in the narrative?

Nārada is speaking and continues a sequential enumeration of notable kings, adding several names to the ongoing catalog within the Sabha Parva context.