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

Transliteration

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

Translation

毗湿摩耶那说道：“大王啊，我将先为你叙述檀那阇耶（阿周那）的征服。虽说普利塔（昆蒂）的四子同时分赴四方而平定大地，我仍将先从阿周那的远征讲起。”

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.