Shloka 22

Bhīṣma’s Admonition; Duryodhana’s Rājasūya Aspiration and the Proposal of a Vaiṣṇava-satra

Devanagari script

गणैरप्सरसां चैव त्रिदशानां तथा55त्मजै: । विहारशील: क्रीडार्थ तेन तत्‌ संवृतं सर:

Transliteration

gaṇair apsarasāṃ caiva tridaśānāṃ tathātmajaiḥ | vihāraśīlaḥ krīḍārthaṃ tena tat saṃvṛtaṃ saraḥ ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana nói: Cùng với các đoàn Apsara và các con trai của chư thiên, ông vốn ưa vui chơi tiêu dao. Vì cuộc dạo chơi và trò vui, ông cho vây kín hồ ấy bốn bề, như thể dành riêng cho cuộc tiêu khiển của cõi trời.

Word by Word

• गणैः: with groups
• गणैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: गण
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• अप्सरसाम्: of apsarases
• अप्सरसाम्: Sambandha
• Type: Noun
• Root: अप्सरस्
• Form: Feminine, Genitive, Plural

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

• एव: indeed/just
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

• त्रिदशानाम्: of the gods (thirty)
• त्रिदशानाम्: Sambandha
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रिदश
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• तथा: likewise/also
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा

• आत्मजैः: with sons (offspring)
• आत्मजैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्मज
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• विहारशीलः: fond of roaming/sporting
• विहारशीलः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विहारशील
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• क्रीडार्थम्: for the purpose of play
• क्रीडार्थम्: Prayojana
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्रीडार्थ
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• तेन: by him/thereby
• तेन: Karana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• संवृतम्: enclosed/surrounded
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-√वृ (वृणोति/वृ)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular, Past passive participle (क्त)

• सरः: lake
• सरः: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: सरस्
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Apsarases
• Tridaśas (the gods)
• Devakumāras (sons of the gods)
• Saraḥ (the lake)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how power and privilege can turn shared natural spaces into exclusive arenas of pleasure. In the Mahābhārata’s ethical atmosphere, such enclosure for personal sport subtly contrasts with ideals of restraint and fair access, foreshadowing tensions that arise when desire overrides consideration for others.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana describes a figure who, together with Apsarases and divine youths, roams for enjoyment and has a particular lake surrounded on all sides so it becomes a private place for play and recreation.