Shloka 14

Sabhā-praveśa, Dāna, and the Courtly Convergence (सभा-प्रवेशः दानं च)

Devanagari script

बलिवाक: सिनीवाक: सत्यपाल: कृतश्रम: । जातूकर्ण: शिखावांश्व॒ आलम्ब: पारिजातक:

Transliteration

Balivākaḥ Sinīvākaḥ Satyapālaḥ Kṛtaśramaḥ | Jātūkarṇaḥ Śikhāvāṃś ca Ālambaḥ Pārijātakaḥ ||

Translation

వైశంపాయనుడు పలికెను— అక్కడ బలివాకుడు, సినీవాకుడు, సత్యపాలుడు, కృతశ్రముడు; జాతూకర్ణుడు, శిఖావాన్; అలాగే ఆలంబుడు, పారిజాతకుడును ఉన్నారు.

Word by Word

बलिवाकःBalivāka (proper name; 'one whose speech is strong/like Bali')

सिनीवाकःSinīvāka (proper name)

सत्यपालःSatyapāla (proper name; 'protector of truth')

कृतश्रमःKṛtaśrama (proper name / 'one who has done toil')

जातूकर्णःJātūkarṇa (proper name; 'having ears like a bat/creature called jātū')

शिखावान्Śikhāvān (proper name / 'one possessing a crest/topknot')

आलम्बःĀlamba (proper name; 'support')

पारिजातकःPārijātaka (proper name; 'connected with the pārijāta tree')

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Balivāka

Sinīvāka

Satyapāla

Kṛtaśrama

Jātūkarṇa

Śikhāvān

Ālamba

Pārijātaka

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse primarily serves a documentary function rather than a direct moral injunction: it preserves a remembered roster of individuals within the Sabha Parva narrative. Indirectly, such catalogues reflect the epic’s concern with lineage, reputation, and the social record that underpins dharma in royal and public life.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana continues an enumeration of named persons connected with the episode being described in Sabha Parva, listing Balivāka, Sinīvāka, Satyapāla, Kṛtaśrama, Jātūkarṇa, Śikhāvān, Ālamba, and Pārijātaka as part of the ongoing catalogue.