Shloka 15

Kṣātra-Dharma, Daṇḍanīti, and Social Order

Indra–Māndhātṛ Dialogue

Devanagari script

स पार्थिवैर्वत: सद्धिरर्चयामास त॑ प्रभुम्‌ तस्य पार्थिवसिंहस्य तस्य चैव महात्मन: । संवादो<यं महानासीदू विष्णु प्रति महाद्युतिम्‌

Transliteration

sa pārthivair vṛtaḥ sādubhir arcayāmāsa taṁ prabhum | tasya pārthivasiṁhasya tasya caiva mahātmanaḥ | saṁvādo ’yaṁ mahān āsīd viṣṇu-prati mahādyutim ||

Translation

وقد أحاط به ملوكٌ أتقياء، فعبد ذلك الحاكم (ماندهاطر Māndhātṛ) الربَّ الذي تجلّى في صورة إندرا. ثم دار بين ذلك «الأسد بين الملوك» وبين إندرا العظيم النفس حوارٌ جليلٌ عن الربّ فيشنو (Viṣṇu) شديد الإشراق—مُرسياً الإطار الأخلاقي بأن السيادة الحقّة تقوم على توقير الإلهيّ والسؤال عن الدَّرما.

Word by Word

• {'pārthivaiḥ': 'by kings, earthly rulers', 'vṛtaḥ': 'surrounded, encompassed', 'sādubhiḥ': 'by the good/virtuous, righteous persons', 'arcayāmāsa': 'worshipped, honored with ritual reverence', 'prabhum': 'the Lord, sovereign master', 'pārthiva-siṁhaḥ': 'lion among kings

• an epithet for an eminent ruler', 'mahātmā': 'great-souled, noble-minded person', 'saṁvādaḥ': 'dialogue, doctrinal conversation', 'mahān': 'great, significant', 'āsīt': 'was, took place', 'viṣṇu-prati': 'concerning Viṣṇu

• with reference to Viṣṇu', 'mahādyuti': 'of great radiance/splendor

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• Māndhātṛ
• Indra (in the form of the Lord)
• Viṣṇu
• virtuous kings (pārthivāḥ/sādavaḥ)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse frames ideal kingship as rooted in reverence (arcana) and in serious inquiry: a righteous ruler honors the divine and seeks understanding of Viṣṇu, implying that political power should be guided by dharma and devotion rather than mere force.

What is happening in the narrative?

Māndhātṛ, attended by virtuous kings, worships the Lord appearing as Indra; then a major dialogue begins between Māndhātṛ and Indra, focused on the nature and glory of Viṣṇu.