Shloka 17

Kīcaka-vadha-pratisaṃjñā: Rumor in Matsya and the Kaurava Scouts’ Report (कीचकवध-प्रतिसंज्ञा)

Devanagari script

वैशम्पायन उवाच ततः सा नर्तनागारे धनंजयमपश्यत । राज्ञ: कन्या विराटस्य नर्तयानं महाभुजम्‌

Transliteration

vaiśampāyana uvāca tataḥ sā nartanāgāre dhanañjayam apaśyata | rājñaḥ kanyā virāṭasya nartayānaṃ mahābhujaṃ |

Translation

வைசம்பாயனன் கூறினான்— “அரசே! அதன் பின் த்ரௌபதி நடனமண்டபத்திற்குச் சென்று, அங்கே மாபெரும் தோளுடைய தனஞ்சயன் (அர்ஜுனன்) விராட அரசனின் மகள்களுக்கு நடனம் கற்பிப்பதை கண்டாள்.”

Word by Word

• वैशम्पायनः: Vaishampayana
• वैशम्पायनः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: वैशम्पायन
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• उवाच: said
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: Perfect, Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

• ततः: then, thereafter
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः

• सा: she
• सा: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• नर्तनागारे: in the dancing-hall
• नर्तनागारे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर्तनागार
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• धनंजयम्: Dhananjaya (Arjuna)
• धनंजयम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: धनंजय
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• अपश्यत्: saw
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश्
• Form: Imperfect, Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

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

• कन्याः: daughters
• कन्याः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: कन्या
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Plural

• विराटस्य: of Virata
• Type: Noun
• Root: विराट
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• नर्तयानम्: causing to dance / teaching dancing
• Type: Verb
• Root: नर्तयत्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular, शानच् (present active participle, parasmaipada sense)

• महाभुजम्: mighty-armed
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महाभुज
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Draupadī
• Dhanañjaya (Arjuna)
• King Virāṭa
• Virāṭa’s daughters
• nartanāgāra (dancing-hall)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Dharma may require disciplined concealment and role-adaptation: a great warrior restrains his public identity and serves appropriately to protect a righteous vow and the safety of all.

What is happening in the narrative?

Draupadī arrives at the dance-hall and sees Arjuna (Dhanañjaya), in his concealed role, teaching King Virāṭa’s daughters to dance.