Shloka 23

अक्षद्यूतप्रवेशः — Kali’s Entry and the Initiation of the Dice-Contest

Devanagari script

तमपश्यंस्तथा5<5यान्तं लोकपाला महेश्वरा: । दृष्टवा चैनं ततो<पृच्छन्‌ वृत्तान्तं सर्वमेव तम्‌,महान्‌ शक्तिशाली लोकपालोंने इस प्रकार राजा नलको लौटते देखा और उन्हें देखकर उनसे सारा वृत्तान्त पूछा--

Transliteration

tam apaśyaṃs tathā yāntaṃ lokapālā maheśvarāḥ | dṛṣṭvā cainaṃ tato 'pṛcchan vṛttāntaṃ sarvam eva tam ||

Translation

అలా తిరిగి వస్తున్న నలుడిని మహాశక్తిమంతులైన లోకపాలులు చూచిరి; అతనిని చూచి, జరిగిన సంగతులన్నిటినీ పూర్తిగా అడిగిరి.

Word by Word

तम्him

अपश्यन्seeing

तथाthus, in that manner

आयान्तम्coming, returning

लोकपालाःworld-guardians (Lokapalas)

महेश्वराःgreat lords

दृष्ट्वाhaving seen

चand

एनम्this one, him

ततःthen, thereafter

अपृच्छन्they asked

वृत्तान्तम्account, narrative

सर्वम्all, entire

एवindeed, just

तम्him

Speaker

बृहदश्व उवाच

Characters & Entities

Lokapālas (guardians of the worlds/directions)

Nala (implied by context: the returning king)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Those entrusted with protection and governance must seek a complete and truthful account of events before judging outcomes; inquiry into causes and consequences is part of righteous oversight (dharma) and responsible kingship.

What is happening in the narrative?

As the king (Nala, in context) is seen returning, the Lokapālas—mighty cosmic guardians—notice him and then question him, asking for the full story of what has happened.