Shloka 83

नलस्य बाहुकत्वेन ऋतुपर्णनगरप्रवेशः

Nala as Bāhuka enters Ṛtuparṇa’s city

Devanagari script

आहूय पृथिवीपाल: सत्यधर्मपरायण: । देवने कुशलैर्जिह्नौ्वतं राज्यं वसूनि च

Transliteration

bṛhadaśva uvāca | āhūya pṛthivīpālaḥ satyadharmaparāyaṇaḥ | devane kuśalair jihnaiḥ vṛtaṁ rājyaṁ vasūni ca ||

Translation

布里哈达施瓦说道：那位国王笃信真实与达摩，召集众人前来；然而在赌戏之中，他被狡黠而善诈的赌徒所愚弄，遂失其国土与财宝。此段昭示：即便正直之君，一旦踏入技艺与欺诈相合的恶习，也可能覆亡；而达摩不仅要求德行，更要求警醒。

Word by Word

• आहूय: having summoned
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-ह्वा (धातु)
• Form: ल्यप् (क्त्वान्त/अव्ययीभाव-भावे), कर्तरि, having called/summoned

• पृथिवीपालः: the king (protector of the earth)
• पृथिवीपालः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पृथिवीपाल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• सत्यधर्मपरायणः: devoted to truth and righteousness
• सत्यधर्मपरायणः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सत्यधर्मपरायण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• देवने: in gambling / at the game
• देवने: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• कुशलैः: by skilled (men)
• कुशलैः: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कुशल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• जिह्नैः: by crooked/deceitful (men)
• जिह्नैः: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जिह्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• द्यूतम्: gambling, dice-play
• द्यूतम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्यूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• राज्यम्: kingdom
• राज्यम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: राज्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• वसूनि: wealth, treasures
• वसूनि: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: वसु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Plural

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)

Speaker

बृहृदश्च उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bṛhadaśva
• pṛthivīpāla (the king)
• rājya (kingdom)
• vasu/vasūni (wealth)
• devana (gambling/dice-game)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Righteous intent alone does not protect one in contexts dominated by vice and deception; dharma includes discernment and restraint—avoiding situations like gambling where fraud and addiction can overturn even a truthful king.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bṛhadaśva describes a king devoted to truth and dharma who, after being drawn into a dice-game, is defeated by skilled but deceitful gamblers and consequently loses both his kingdom and his wealth.