Shloka 21

Devanagari script

वैशम्पायन उवाच ततो विराटो नृपति: सम्प्रहृष्टतनुरुह:,वैशम्पायनजी कहते हैं--जनमेजय! अपने अमित-पराक्रमी कुमारकी विजयका समाचार सुनकर राजा विराट बड़े प्रसन्न हुए। उनके शरीरमें रोमांच हो आया। उन्होंने वस्त्र और आशभूषणोंसे उन दूतोंका सत्कार किया और मन्त्रीको आज्ञा दी--

Transliteration

Vaiśampāyana uvāca | tato virāṭo nṛpatiḥ samprahṛṣṭa-tanūruhaḥ | janamejaya! svasyāmita-parākramiṇaḥ kumārasya vijaya-samācāraṃ śrutvā sa mahān prahṛṣṭo ’bhavat | tasya gātreṣu romāñco ’bhavat | sa dūtān vastrābharaṇaiḥ satkṛtvā mantriṇaṃ samādiśat |

Translation

毗湿摩波耶那说道：于是，维罗吒王听闻自己那勇力无量的王子得胜的捷报，心中大喜，周身毛发皆竖。沉浸在欢悦之中，他以衣服与饰物厚赏使者，继而向大臣下达指令——表明君主得闻佳音，当以感恩、慷慨与有序的政务来回应，而非纵情放逸的狂欢。

Word by Word

वैशम्पायनःVaishampayana

उवाचsaid

ततःthen; thereafter

विराटःVirata

नृपतिःking

सम्प्रहृष्ट-तनुरुहःwhose body-hairs were thrilled (with joy); having horripilation

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Janamejaya

Virāṭa

Virāṭa's son (kumāra)

messengers (dūtāḥ)

minister (mantrī)

garments (vastrāṇi)

ornaments (ābharaṇāni)

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?

A ruler should respond to success with disciplined joy: acknowledge merit, reward loyal service (the messengers), and immediately translate good news into orderly administrative action through trusted ministers.

What is happening in the narrative?

After hearing that his son has achieved victory, King Virāṭa becomes ecstatic (hairs standing on end), honors the messengers with gifts, and then commands his minister—preparing the court’s next steps in response to the victory report.