Shloka 11

Devanagari script

आरुरोह तत: सर्वे जहसुश्न पुनर्जना: । द्वारं तु पिहिताकारं स्फाटिकं प्रेक्ष्य भूमिप: । प्रविशन्नाहतो मूर्थ्नि व्याघूर्णित इव स्थित:

Transliteration

āruroha tataḥ sarve jahasuś ca punar janāḥ | dvāraṃ tu pihitākāraṃ sphāṭikaṃ prekṣya bhūmipaḥ | praviśann āhato mūrdhni vyāghūrṇita iva sthitaḥ ||

Translation

Rồi tất cả cùng bước lên, dân chúng lại cười rộ. Thấy một cánh cửa pha lê tưởng như đã khép, nhà vua toan bước vào; liền đập đầu vào cửa, đứng chao đảo như kẻ bị choáng váng.

Word by Word

आरुरोहmounted/ascended

ततःthen/from there

सर्वेall

जहसुःlaughed

पुनःagain

जनाःpeople

द्वारम्door

तुbut/indeed

पिहितclosed/shut

आकारम्appearance/form

स्फाटिकम्crystal(-like)

प्रेक्ष्यhaving seen

भूमिपःking (protector of the earth)

प्रविशन्entering

आहतःstruck

मूर्ध्निon the head

व्याघूर्णितःstaggered/whirled about

इवas if/like

स्थितःstood/remained

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

bhūmipa (the king)

dvāra (doorway)

sphāṭika (crystal)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights an ethical caution: when a person—especially a ruler—acts with pride or impatience, lacking careful perception, he becomes vulnerable to error and public ridicule. Discernment and self-restraint are essential virtues amid grandeur and deception.

What is happening in the narrative?

As the group moves within the wondrous hall, a king sees what looks like a closed crystal door and tries to pass through it. It is not an opening as he assumes; he hits his head and reels, while onlookers laugh at the mishap.