Shloka 12

Devanagari script

तत्रस्थ: पुरुषैरेव धर्मराजस्य शासनात्‌ । किरीटी जितवान्‌ राजन्‌ देशान्‌ पञ्चगणांस्तत:ः,राजन! धर्मराजकी आज्ञासे किरीटधारी अर्जुनने वहीं रहकर अपने सेवकोंद्वारा पंचगण नामक देशोंको जीत लिया

Transliteration

tatra-sthaḥ puruṣair eva dharmarājasya śāsanāt | kirīṭī jitavān rājan deśān pañcagaṇāṁs tataḥ ||

Translation

వైశంపాయనుడు పలికెను— ఓ రాజా, అక్కడే ఉండి ధర్మరాజ యుధిష్ఠిరుని ఆజ్ఞ ప్రకారం కిరీటధారి అర్జునుడు తన మనుష్యుల ద్వారానే పంచగణ దేశాలను జయించెను.

Word by Word

तत्रthere

स्थःstanding, staying

पुरुषैःby men, by attendants

एवindeed, just

धर्मराजस्यof Dharmaraja (Yudhishthira)

शासनात्from/according to the command

किरीटीthe diadem-wearer (Arjuna)

जितवान्conquered, won

राजन्O king

देशान्countries, regions

पञ्चगणान्called Pañcagaṇa (five-clan)

ततःthen, thereafter

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Dharmarāja (Yudhiṣṭhira)

Arjuna (Kirīṭī)

Pañcagaṇa deśāḥ (countries/regions)

Janamejaya (implied by 'rājan')

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 highlights disciplined action under legitimate authority: Arjuna’s victories are framed as execution of Dharmarāja’s command, emphasizing duty, hierarchy, and the ethical ideal that power should be exercised as service to righteous governance rather than personal ambition.

What is happening in the narrative?

During the campaign of subjugating regions for imperial consolidation, Arjuna remains stationed in a place and, following Yudhiṣṭhira’s orders, has the Pañcagaṇa countries conquered through his own men/retainers, extending the Pāṇḍava political reach.