Shloka 15

नलस्य पुष्करजयो द्यूते

Nala’s Victory over Puṣkara in the Dice-Game

Devanagari script

पूर्व ह्ूपि सखा मे5सि सम्बन्धी च जनाधिप । अत ऊर्ध्व॑ तु भूयस्त्वं प्रीतिमाहर्तुमहसि,जनेश्वरर आप पहले भी मेरे सखा और सम्बन्धी थे और इसके बाद भी आपको मुझपर अधिक-से-अधिक प्रेम रखना चाहिये

Transliteration

pūrvaṃ hy api sakhā me ’si sambandhī ca janādhipa | ata ūrdhvaṃ tu bhūyas tvaṃ prītim āhartum arhasi ||

Translation

నలుడు పలికెను—ఓ జనాధిపా! మీరు ముందే నా స్నేహితుడూ బంధువూ. కనుక ఇకపై మరింతగా నాపై స్నేహం, సద్భావం చూపవలెను.

Word by Word

पूर्वम्formerly, earlier

हिindeed, for

अपिalso, even

सखाfriend

मेof me, my

असिyou are

सम्बन्धीkinsman, relation

चand

जनाधिपO lord of people, O king

अतःtherefore, hence

ऊर्ध्वम्afterwards, henceforth

तुbut, indeed

भूयःmore, again, all the more

त्वम्you

प्रीतिम्affection, love

आहर्तुम्to bring, to bestow

अर्हसिyou ought, you should

Speaker

नल उवाच

Characters & Entities

Nala

janādhipa (king addressed)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse appeals to dharma grounded in prior bonds: friendship and kinship create an ethical obligation to sustain and even increase goodwill, especially after a turning point.

What is happening in the narrative?

Nala addresses a kingly figure, reminding him of their earlier friendship and familial connection, and urges him to maintain stronger affection and support going forward.