Shloka 18

जयद्रथविमोचन–पलायनवृत्तान्तः

Recovery of Draupadī and Jayadratha’s flight

Devanagari script

वारुणीं दिशमागम्य यवनान्‌ बर्बरांस्तथा | नृपान्‌ पश्चिमभूमिस्थान्‌ दापयामास वै करान्‌,इसके बाद पश्चिम दिशामें जाकर यवन तथा बर्बर राजाओंको, जो पश्चिम देशके ही निवासी थे, पराजित करके उनसे कर लिया

Transliteration

vāruṇīṃ diśam āgamya yavanān barbarāṃs tathā | nṛpān paścimabhūmisthān dāpayāmāsa vai karān |

Translation

毗湿摩波耶那说：他来到伐楼那所主之方——西方，降伏了夜婆那与蛮族诸王，并使西土诸国君主尽皆纳贡。

Word by Word

वारुणीम्the western (Varuṇa’s) direction

दिशम्direction

आगम्यhaving gone/approached

यवनान्Yavanas (Greeks/foreigners)

बर्बरान्Barbaras (barbarians/foreign tribes)

तथाand also/likewise

नृपान्kings

पश्चिमभूमिस्थान्dwelling in the western land

दापयामासcaused (them) to pay / made (them) give

वैindeed

करान्taxes/tributes

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Varuṇa (as directional deity)

Western direction (Vāruṇī diś)

Yavanas

Barbaras

Western kings (paścimabhūmisthā nṛpāḥ)

Tribute/taxes (kara)

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 reflects rājadharma: a ruler is expected to establish authority, secure the realm, and collect lawful revenue (kara). At the same time, it invites ethical reflection on the means—conquest and compulsion—used to create political order.

What is happening in the narrative?

The narrator states that the protagonist moved westward, defeated western peoples such as the Yavanas and Barbaras along with other western kings, and compelled them to pay tribute.