Mahabharata — Shalya Parva, Shloka 16

Plakṣaprasravaṇa–Kārapacana tīrtha-varṇana and Nārada’s war briefing (Śalya-parva, Adhyāya 53)

Devanagari script

एवमेतद्‌ यदुश्रेष्ठ कृष्टं राजर्षिणा पुरा । शक्रेण चाभ्यनुज्ञातं ब्रह्माद्यैश्व सुरैस्तथा

Transliteration

evam etad yaduśreṣṭha kṛṣṭaṃ rājarṣiṇā purā | śakreṇa cābhyanujñātaṃ brahmādyaiś ca surais tathā ||

Translation

হে যদুশ্রেষ্ঠ! এটাই সত্য। প্রাচীনকালে রাজর্ষি কুরু এই ভূমি চাষ করে উর্বর করেছিলেন; আর শক্র (ইন্দ্র) ও ব্রহ্মা প্রভৃতি দেবতাগণও একে অনুমোদন ও আশীর্বাদ করেছিলেন।

Word by Word

• एवम्: thus, in this manner
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम्

• एतत्: this (thing)
• एतत्: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: एतद्
• Form: neuter, nominative, singular

• यदुश्रेष्ठ: O best of the Yadus
• Type: Noun
• Root: यदु-श्रेष्ठ
• Form: masculine, vocative, singular

• कृष्टम्: ploughed, tilled
• Type: Participle
• Root: कृष्
• Form: neuter, nominative, singular, passive, past (PPP)

• राजर्षिणा: by the royal sage
• राजर्षिणा: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजर्षि
• Form: masculine, instrumental, singular

• पुरा: formerly, long ago
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरा

• शक्रेण: by Śakra (Indra)
• शक्रेण: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: शक्र
• Form: masculine, instrumental, singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• अभ्यनुज्ञातम्: approved, sanctioned, permitted
• Type: Participle
• Root: अनु-ज्ञा (अभि-अनु-ज्ञा)
• Form: neuter, nominative, singular, passive, past (PPP)

• ब्रह्माद्यैः: by Brahmā and others
• ब्रह्माद्यैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्म-आदि
• Form: masculine, instrumental, plural

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• सुरैः: by the gods
• सुरैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुर
• Form: masculine, instrumental, plural

• तथा: so, likewise, in the same way
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा

Speaker

राम उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Rāma (speaker)
• Yaduśreṣṭha (addressee, best of the Yadus)
• Rājarṣi Kuru
• Śakra (Indra)
• Brahmā
• Suras (the gods)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse links sanctity to righteous action: Kuru’s disciplined, constructive labor (cultivating the land) becomes spiritually authoritative when aligned with dharma and affirmed by higher moral/divine order (Indra, Brahmā, and the gods).

What is happening in the narrative?

Rāma addresses a Yadu hero and explains the ancient origin of the region’s holiness: the royal sage Kuru once cultivated it, and the chief gods granted approval and blessing, establishing the place as divinely endorsed.