Shloka 2

Bhīmasena’s Eastern Digvijaya and the Cedi Reception

Sabhā-parva 26

Devanagari script

वैशम्पायन उवाच धनंजयस्य वक्ष्यामि विजयं पूर्वमेव ते । यौगपटद्येन पार्थहि निर्जितेयं वसुन्धरा,वैशम्पायनजी कहते हैं--राजन्‌! यद्यपि कुन्तीके चारों पुत्रोंने एक ही समय इन चारों दिशाओंकी पृथ्वीपर विजय प्राप्त की थी, तो भी पहले तुम्हें अर्जुनका दिग्विजयवृत्तान्त सुनाऊँगा

Transliteration

Vaiśampāyana uvāca: dhanañjayasya vakṣyāmi vijayaṃ pūrvam eva te | yaugapadyena pārthā hi nirjitā iyaṃ vasundharā ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana thưa: “Muôn tâu Đại vương, trước hết thần sẽ kể về cuộc chinh phục của Dhanañjaya (Arjuna). Dẫu bốn người con của Pṛthā (Kuntī) đã đồng thời chinh phục bốn phương trên cõi đất này, thần vẫn xin bắt đầu bằng chiến dịch của Arjuna.”

Word by Word

• {'vaiśampāyana uvāca': 'Vaiśampāyana said', 'dhanañjayasya': "of Dhanañjaya (Arjuna, 'winner of wealth')", 'vakṣyāmi': 'I shall tell, I will narrate', 'vijayam': 'victory

• conquest (here, digvijaya)', 'pūrvam eva': 'first indeed

• at the outset', 'te': 'to you', 'yaugapadyena': 'simultaneously

• at the same time', 'pārthāḥ': 'the sons of Pṛthā (Kuntī), i.e., the Pāṇḍavas', 'hi': 'indeed

• for', 'nirjitā': 'conquered

• subdued', 'iyam': 'this', 'vasundharā': 'the earth

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Dhanañjaya (Arjuna)
• Pārthas (sons of Kuntī / Pāṇḍavas)
• Vasundharā (Earth)
• King (Janamejaya, implied addressee)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights orderly narration and coordinated action: even when achievements are collective and simultaneous, a teacher may present them sequentially for clarity, while still honoring the shared effort and the dharmic purpose of establishing rightful rule.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana tells the king that although the Pāṇḍavas conquered the quarters at the same time, he will begin by narrating Arjuna’s (Dhanañjaya’s) digvijaya first, introducing the upcoming account of the directional conquests.