Shloka 2

Devanagari script

ऐ उपास्तीर्णा सभा राजन्नक्षानुप्त्वा युधिष्ठिर । एहि पाण्डव दीव्येति पिता त्वाहेति भारत,“भरतकुलभूषण पाण्डुनन्दन युधिष्ठिर! आपके पिता राजा धृतराष्ट्रने यह आदेश दिया है कि तुम लौट आओ। हमारी सभा फिर सदस्योंसे भर गयी है और तुम्हारी प्रतीक्षा कर रही है। तुम पासे फेंककर जूआ खेलो'

Transliteration

vaiśampāyana uvāca | eṣā upāstīrṇā sabhā rājann akṣān āptvā yudhiṣṭhira | ehi pāṇḍava dīvyeti pitā tv āheti bhārata ||

Translation

“大王啊，会堂已再度满座。坚战啊，既已取来骰子，就来吧——般度之子——掷骰对赌。婆罗多啊，这是你父王持国（Dhṛtarāṣṭra）的命令。”

Word by Word

एहिcome

उपास्तीर्णाspread/laid out; prepared

सभाassembly hall

राजन्O king

अक्षान्dice

उप्त्वाhaving cast/thrown

युधिष्ठिरO Yudhiṣṭhira

एहिcome

पाण्डवO Pāṇḍava

दीव्यplay (gamble)

इतिthus (quotative)

पिताfather

त्वाyou

आहsaid

इतिthus

भारतO Bhārata

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Yudhiṣṭhira

Dhṛtarāṣṭra

Pāṇḍava(s)

Bhārata (descendant of Bharata)

Sabhā (assembly hall)

Akṣa (dice)

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 a classic dharmic tension: obedience to a king/elder versus the ethical danger of participating in adharma-prone activities like gambling. It foreshadows how social duty and royal command can pressure a righteous person into a situation with grave moral consequences.

What is happening in the narrative?

The court has reconvened and the dice are ready. Yudhiṣṭhira is formally summoned back to the assembly and instructed to play, with the message presented as Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s direct order—initiating the decisive gambling episode of the Sabha Parva.