Shloka 3
शान्ति पर्व (अध्याय 38): युधिष्ठिरस्य राजधर्म-जिज्ञासा तथा भीष्मोपसर्पण-प्रस्तावना | Shanti Parva Chapter 38: Yudhishthira’s Inquiry into Rajadharma and the Prelude to Approaching Bhishma
गृहाणि राजमार्गेषु रत्नवन्ति महान्ति च । प्राकम्पन्तेव भारेण स्त्रीणां पूर्णानि भारत
gṛhāṇi rājamārgeṣu ratnavanti mahānti ca | prākampanteva bhāreṇa strīṇāṃ pūrṇāni bhārata bharatanandana ||
毗舍波耶那说道：“沿着王道，两旁镶嵌珠宝的宏伟府第仿佛都在颤动。噢，婆罗多啊，婆罗多族的荣光，那些楼阁因挤满妇女，又在拥挤人群的重压下摇曳不定。”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how outward prosperity and grandeur can mask inner instability: even magnificent, jewel-adorned buildings appear to shake when crowded. In ethical terms, it suggests that social and political moments draw collective attention and pressure, revealing the fragility beneath displays of wealth.
The narrator describes a bustling royal roadway scene: large, jewel-decorated mansions near the road are packed with women watching events, and the buildings seem to tremble from the sheer weight and crowding—conveying a tense, crowded urban spectacle around the king’s route.