Shloka 23

Dyūta-kathā-praśnaḥ — Inquiry into the Dice-Game Calamity

Devanagari script

कालेन निर्मितस्तात को ममार्थो5स्ति जीवत: । एवं ब्रुवन्तं राजानं फाल्गुन: प्रत्यभाषत

Transliteration

kālena nirmitas tāta ko mamārtho 'sti jīvataḥ | evaṃ bruvantaṃ rājānaṃ phālgunaḥ pratyabhāṣata ||

Translation

“తాతా! సమస్తమూ కాలమే నిర్మించి నడిపిస్తున్నప్పుడు, నేను జీవించి ఉండటానికి ఏ ప్రయోజనం?” అని ఇలా విలపిస్తున్న రాజునకు ఫాల్గుణుడు (అర్జునుడు) ప్రత్యుత్తరం చెప్పాడు.

Word by Word

कालेनby time

निर्मितःmade/constructed

तातO dear (father/son)!

कःwhat?/who?

ममof me / my

अर्थःpurpose/use/need

अस्तिis/exists

जीवतःof (one) living / while alive

एवम्thus

ब्रुवन्तम्speaking (him)

राजानम्the king

फाल्गुनःPhalguna (Arjuna)

प्रत्यभाषतreplied/answered

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Phālguna (Arjuna)

the king (rājā)

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 frames a moral-psychological crisis: the king attributes events to Kāla (Time) and questions the value of striving while alive. It sets up the counterpoint—Arjuna’s response—inviting reflection on how dharma balances acceptance of time’s power with responsible action.

What is happening in the narrative?

The narrator reports that the king, speaking in a despondent, fatalistic tone (“all is made by Time; what purpose is left for me?”), is answered by Phālguna (Arjuna), indicating a forthcoming counsel or corrective reply.