Sabha Parva Adhyaya 5 Shloka 1 - Mahabharata | Chinese | Vedapath

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Shloka 1

Nāradasya Rājadharma-praśnāḥ

Nārada’s Examination of Royal Ethics

Devanagari script

(दाक्षिणात्य अधिक पाठके ५३ “लोक मिलाकर कुल ४५३ श्लोक हैं) #द-3८5>> | अर । जम ३. संगीतमें नृत्य

Transliteration

vaiśampāyana uvāca | atha tatropaviṣṭeṣu pāṇḍaveṣu mahātmasu | mahatsu copaviṣṭeṣu gandharveṣu ca bhārata ||

Translation

毗湿摩耶那说道：于是，婆罗多啊（阇那美阇耶），当那些心怀伟业的般度五子端坐其间，诸多大人物与乾闼婆众亦同坐于王家大殿时，殿中情势已然具足，正待一场启迪人心的相会展开。

Word by Word

वैशम्पायनःVaiśampāyana

उवाचsaid

अथthen

तत्रthere

उपविष्टेषुwhen (they were) seated

पाण्डवेषुamong the Pāṇḍavas

महात्मसुgreat-souled

महत्सुgreat (ones)

चand

उपविष्टेषुwhen (they were) seated

गन्धर्वेषुamong the Gandharvas

चand

भारतO Bhārata (descendant of Bharata)

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Janamejaya (implied by address 'Bhārata')

Pāṇḍavas

Gandharvas

Sabhā (assembly hall; implied by context 'tatra')

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?

This opening verse primarily establishes the ethical setting: a royal assembly populated by noble figures and celestial witnesses. In the Mahābhārata, such a setting signals that forthcoming counsel and decisions are to be measured against dharma and public accountability.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana transitions into the scene of the Pāṇḍavas seated in their hall along with other eminent beings, including Gandharvas. It introduces the courtly moment just before the instructive episode (traditionally, Nārada’s arrival and questioning) begins.