Shloka 25

Devanagari script

स एष निरयं प्राप्तो मत्स्यस्य परिचारक: । सभायां देविता राज्ञ: कड्को ब्रूते युधिष्ठिर:,वे ही ये युधिष्ठिर आज मत्स्यराजके सेवक होकर परतन्त्रतारूपी नरकमें पड़े हुए हैं। ये सभामें राजाको जूआ खेलाते और कंक कहकर अपना परिचय देते हैं

Transliteration

sa eṣa nirayaṁ prāpto matsyasya paricārakaḥ | sabhāyāṁ devitā rājñaḥ kaṅko brūte yudhiṣṭhiraḥ ||

Translation

وَیشَمپایَن نے کہا—وہی یُدھِشٹھِر اب پرائے اختیار کے زیرِ سایہ جینے والی، گویا دوزخ جیسی حالت میں پڑ کر مَتسْی راجہ کا خادم بن گیا ہے۔ دربار میں وہ بادشاہ کو نرد (جوّا) کھلواتا ہے اور وہاں اپنا نام ‘کَنگ’ بتاتا ہے۔

Word by Word

सःhe

एषःthis (person)

निरयम्hell

प्राप्तःhaving attained / having reached

मत्स्यस्यof Matsya (kingdom/king)

परिचारकःattendant, servant

सभायाम्in the assembly hall

देविताfemale gambler / dice-player (as a role/name)

राज्ञःof the king / for the king

कङ्कःKanka (name/alias)

ब्रूतेsays, speaks

युधिष्ठिरःYudhishthira

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Yudhiṣṭhira

Kaṅka

Matsya (kingdom/king)

royal assembly hall (sabhā)

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse frames dependence and loss of autonomy as a ‘hell’ (niraya), highlighting the ethical pain of living under compulsion and the humility required in exile—especially for a dharma-minded king like Yudhiṣṭhira who must accept a lowly role and conceal his identity.

What is happening in the narrative?

During the Pandavas’ incognito year in the Matsya court, Yudhiṣṭhira serves as an attendant connected with dice-play in the king’s assembly and uses the alias ‘Kaṅka,’ as Vaiśampāyana narrates.