Shloka 9

अक्षदेवन-प्रवर्तनम् | Commencement of the Dice Game

Devanagari script

चेकितान उपासड्ले धनु: काश्य उपाहरत्‌ । असिं च सुत्सरुं शल्य: शैक्यं काउ्चनभूषणम्‌

Transliteration

cekitāna upāsadle dhanuḥ kāśya upāharat | asiṃ ca sutsaruṃ śalyaḥ śaikyaṃ kāñcanabhūṣaṇam |

Translation

Duryodhana nói: “Cekitāna bước lên trước và dâng một cây cung; vua xứ Kāśī cũng dâng một cây cung. Còn Śalya thì ban tặng một thanh kiếm có chuôi tuyệt hảo, cùng một bình vàng trang sức đặt trên khay.” Trong mạch truyện xung quanh, các lễ vật ấy là dấu hiệu công khai của liên minh và tôn vinh, cho thấy các vua chúa ràng buộc nhau bằng cống phẩm và sự hậu thuẫn nghi lễ trước khi xung đột bùng nổ.

Word by Word

• चेकितानः: Cekitāna
• चेकितानः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: चेकितान
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• उपासदत्: approached
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप-आस्
• Form: Imperfect, 3, Singular, Parasmaipada

• धनुः: bow
• धनुः: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: धनुस्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• काश्यः: the king of Kāśī
• काश्यः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: काश्य
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• उपाहरत्: presented/offered
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप-आ-हृ
• Form: Imperfect, 3, Singular, Parasmaipada

• असिम्: sword
• असिम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: असि
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• सुत्सरुम्: Sutsaru (a weapon/implement; exact identification uncertain)
• सुत्सरुम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुत्सरु
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• शल्यः: Śalya
• शल्यः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: शल्य
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• शैक्यम्: made of/pertaining to Śaka/Śaikya (reading uncertain)
• शैक्यम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शैक्य
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• काञ्चनभूषणम्: golden ornament/adornment
• काञ्चनभूषणम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: काञ्चन-भूषण
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

दुर्योधन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Duryodhana
• Cekitāna
• Kāśī (Kāśya, king of Kāśī)
• Śalya
• bow (dhanuḥ)
• sword (asi)
• gold-ornamented vessel (kāñcanabhūṣaṇam)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the political-ethical role of dāna (formal gifting): public offerings of weapons and regalia are not mere generosity but visible commitments of loyalty and honor, binding allies and escalating the momentum toward war.

What is happening in the narrative?

Duryodhana enumerates the gifts presented by notable kings/warriors—bows from Cekitāna and the king of Kāśī, and a fine sword and gold-adorned vessel from Śalya—within a larger scene of ceremonial preparations and alliance-display.