Mahabharata · 2.67.1–2
॥
Devanāgarī
वैशंपायन उवाच
ततो व्यध्वगतं पार्थं प्रातिकामी युधिष्ठिरम् ॥
उवाच वचनाद् राज्ञो धृतराष्ट्रस्य धीमतः ॥
उपस्तीर्णा सभा राजन्न् अक्षान् उप्त्वा युधिष्ठिर ॥
एहि पाण्डव दीव्येति पिता त्वाम् आह भारत ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
vaiśaṃpāyana uvāca
tato vyadhvagataṃ pārthaṃ prātikāmī yudhiṣṭhiram ||
uvāca vacanād rājño dhṛtarāṣṭrasya dhīmataḥ ||
upastīrṇā sabhā rājann akṣān uptvā yudhiṣṭhira ||
ehi pāṇḍava dīvyeti pitā tvām āha bhārata ||
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
ततो व्य्-अध्व-गतं पार्थं प्रातिकामी युधिष्ठिरम्tato vy-adhva-gataṃ pārthaṃ prātikāmī yudhiṣṭhiramThen, to Pārtha Yudhiṣṭhira, who had already set out on his way, the herald
उवाच वचनाद् राज्ञो धृतराष्ट्रस्य धीमतःuvāca vacanād rājño dhṛtarāṣṭrasya dhīmataḥspoke by the word of the wise king Dhṛtarāṣṭra:
उपस्तीर्णा सभा राजन्न् अक्षान् उप्त्वा युधिष्ठिरupastīrṇā sabhā rājann akṣān uptvā yudhiṣṭhira"The assembly hall is spread, O king; the dice are thrown [ready], O Yudhiṣṭhira;
एहि पाण्डव दीव्य इति पिता त्वाम् आह भारतehi pāṇḍava dīvya iti pitā tvām āha bhāratacome, Pāṇḍava, to play — thus your father bids you, O Bhārata."
वैशंपायनvaiśaṃpāyanaoriginal form "vaiśaṃpāyana", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
व्यध्वगतंvyadhvagataṃoriginal form "vyadhvagataṃ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
दीव्येतिdīvyetioriginal form "dīvyeti", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
Translation
Then, to Pārtha Yudhiṣṭhira who had already set out on his way, the herald spoke by the word of the wise king Dhṛtarāṣṭra: "The assembly hall is spread, O king, and the dice are ready, O Yudhiṣṭhira; come, Pāṇḍava, to play — thus your father bids you, O Bhārata."
Version
056c2854fd99 · published Jul 16, 2026, 4:12:36 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
Those who have barely escaped destruction are overtaken on the very road — evil does not release its prey but sends after it. It is telling that the summons to a new ruin travels under the name of "father": the authority of a respectful call conceals a trap, turning the sacred right of an elder into an instrument of harm. The enemy thus counts on the very virtue of his victim — on his reverence, knowing that the righteous will not refuse a father's summons. The verse teaches that evil often clothes itself in lawful form, so that virtue binds the victim more surely than any fetter; that nobility unleavened by discernment betrays the noble into the hands of deceit; and that there are calls which, wearing the mask of reverence, carry death within them.