Shloka 16

विदुरस्य द्रुपदसमीपगमनम् — Vidura Conveys Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Message to Drupada

Devanagari script

रूपयौवनदाक्षिण्यैरुपेताश्व स्वलंकृता: । प्रेष्या: सम्प्रददौ कृष्णो नानादेश्या: स्वलंकृता:,रूप-यौवन और चातुर्य आदि गुणोंसे सम्पन्न तथा वस्त्राभूषणोंसे अलंकृत अनेक देशोंकी सजी-धजी बहुत सी सुन्दरी सेविकाएँ भी समर्पित कीं

Transliteration

rūpa-yauvana-dākṣiṇyair upetāś ca su-alaṅkṛtāḥ | preṣyāḥ sampradadau kṛṣṇo nānādeśyāḥ su-alaṅkṛtāḥ ||

Translation

వైశంపాయనుడు పలికెను—రూపం, యౌవనం, దాక్షిణ్యంతో కూడి, వస్త్రాభరణాలతో అలంకరింపబడిన, నానాదేశాల అనేక సేవికలను కూడా కృష్ణుడు సమర్పించెను।

Word by Word

रूपby beauty/form

यौवनby youth

दाक्षिण्यैःby courtesy/skill

उपेताःendowed (with)

चand

सुअलंकृताःwell-adorned

प्रेष्याःmaidservants/attendants

सम्प्रददौgave/handed over

कृष्णःKrishna

नानाvarious

देश्याःfrom (different) countries/regions

सुअलंकृताःwell-adorned

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśaṃpāyana

Kṛṣṇa

preṣyāḥ (attendant maidservants)

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 illustrates how royal dāna (formal gifting) functioned as a public expression of prosperity and alliance-building; ethically, it invites reflection on dharma when social customs treat human attendants as transferable gifts, highlighting the tension between accepted norms and individual dignity.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśaṃpāyana reports that Kṛṣṇa, as part of a larger presentation of gifts, bestows many well-adorned female attendants from different regions, described as possessing beauty, youth, and courteous skill.