Shloka 83

नलस्य बाहुकत्वेन ऋतुपर्णनगरप्रवेशः

Nala as Bāhuka enters Ṛtuparṇa’s city

Devanagari script

आहूय पृथिवीपाल: सत्यधर्मपरायण: । देवने कुशलैर्जिह्नौ्वतं राज्यं वसूनि च

Transliteration

bṛhadaśva uvāca | āhūya pṛthivīpālaḥ satyadharmaparāyaṇaḥ | devane kuśalair jihnaiḥ vṛtaṁ rājyaṁ vasūni ca ||

Translation

Sinabi ni Bṛhadaśva: Ang hari, na tapat sa katotohanan at sa dharma, ay ipinatawag sila. Ngunit sa pagsusugal, siya’y nalinlang at natalo ng mga manlalarong tuso at mapanlinlang; kaya naagaw ang kanyang kaharian at yaman. Ipinakikita ng talatang ito na kahit ang isang matuwid na pinuno ay maaaring mapahamak kapag pumasok sa bisyong pinagsasanib ang husay at pandaraya, at na ang dharma ay humihingi ng pagbabantay bukod sa kabutihan.

Word by Word

• आहूय: having summoned
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-ह्वा (धातु)
• Form: ल्यप् (क्त्वान्त/अव्ययीभाव-भावे), कर्तरि, having called/summoned

• पृथिवीपालः: the king (protector of the earth)
• पृथिवीपालः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पृथिवीपाल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• सत्यधर्मपरायणः: devoted to truth and righteousness
• सत्यधर्मपरायणः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सत्यधर्मपरायण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• देवने: in gambling / at the game
• देवने: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• कुशलैः: by skilled (men)
• कुशलैः: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कुशल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• जिह्नैः: by crooked/deceitful (men)
• जिह्नैः: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जिह्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• द्यूतम्: gambling, dice-play
• द्यूतम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्यूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• राज्यम्: kingdom
• राज्यम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: राज्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• वसूनि: wealth, treasures
• वसूनि: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: वसु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Plural

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)

Speaker

बृहृदश्च उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bṛhadaśva
• pṛthivīpāla (the king)
• rājya (kingdom)
• vasu/vasūni (wealth)
• devana (gambling/dice-game)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Righteous intent alone does not protect one in contexts dominated by vice and deception; dharma includes discernment and restraint—avoiding situations like gambling where fraud and addiction can overturn even a truthful king.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bṛhadaśva describes a king devoted to truth and dharma who, after being drawn into a dice-game, is defeated by skilled but deceitful gamblers and consequently loses both his kingdom and his wealth.