Mahabharata · 2.31.18–19
॥
Devanāgarī
ददुस् तेषाम् आवसथान् धर्मराजस्य शासनात् ॥
बहुकक्ष्यान्वितान् राजन् दीर्घिकावृक्षशोभितान् ॥
तथा धर्मात्मजस् तेषां चक्रे पूजाम् अनुत्तमाम् ॥
सत्कृताश् च यथोद्दिष्टाञ् जग्मुर् आवसथान् नृपाः ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
dadus teṣām āvasathān dharmarājasya śāsanāt ||
bahukakṣyānvitān rājan dīrghikāvṛkṣaśobhitān ||
tathā dharmātmajas teṣāṃ cakre pūjām anuttamām ||
satkṛtāś ca yathoddiṣṭāñ jagmur āvasathān nṛpāḥ ||
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
ददुस् तेषाम् आवसथान्dadus teṣām āvasathānthey gave them dwellings
धर्म-राजस्य शासनात्dharma-rājasya śāsanātby Dharmaraja's command,
बहु-कक्ष्य-अन्वितान् राजन्bahu-kakṣya-anvitān rājanwith many chambers, O king,
दीर्घिका-वृक्ष-शोभितान्dīrghikā-vṛkṣa-śobhitānadorned with ponds and trees;
तथा धर्म-आत्मजस् तेषांtathā dharma-ātmajas teṣāṃand the son of Dharma
चक्रे पूजाम् अनुत्तमाम्cakre pūjām anuttamāmshowed them unsurpassed honor;
सत्कृताश् च यथा-उद्दिष्टाञ्satkṛtāś ca yathā-uddiṣṭāñand, honored, to the appointed
जग्मुर् आवसथान् नृपाःjagmur āvasathān nṛpāḥdwellings the kings went —
धर्मराजस्यdharmarājasyaoriginal form "dharmarājasya", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
बहुकक्ष्यान्वितान्bahukakṣyānvitānoriginal form "bahukakṣyānvitān", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
दीर्घिकावृक्षशोभितान्dīrghikāvṛkṣaśobhitānoriginal form "dīrghikāvṛkṣaśobhitān", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
धर्मात्मजस्dharmātmajasoriginal form "dharmātmajas", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
यथोद्दिष्टाञ्yathoddiṣṭāñoriginal form "yathoddiṣṭāñ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
Translation
They gave them dwellings by Dharmaraja's command — with many chambers, O king, adorned with ponds and trees. And the son of Dharma showed them unsurpassed honor; and the honored kings went to the dwellings appointed to them —
Version
6fb4031cd4e6 · published Jul 16, 2026, 3:40:27 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
Each is allotted his own place — 'to the appointed dwellings': hospitality too has its order and rank. It is notable that the honor shown is 'unsurpassed' yet at the same time orderly: generosity does not turn into disorder. The verse teaches that hospitality reaches perfection when it joins abundance with order; to give lavishly, yet also to place each guest according to his standing — this is the art of receiving. Where the heart is generous and the hand well-ordering, there the guest is both gratified and duly honored; the fullness of hospitality lies in the union of breadth with order.