Srimad Bhagavatam — Navama Skandha, Shloka 29
Pūru-vaṁśa, Duṣmanta–Śakuntalā, and the Rise of Mahārāja Bharata
भरतस्य महत् कर्म न पूर्वे नापरे नृपा: । नैवापुर्नैव प्राप्स्यन्ति बाहुभ्यां त्रिदिवं यथा ॥ २९ ॥
bharatasya mahat karma na pūrve nāpare nṛpāḥ naivāpur naiva prāpsyanti bāhubhyāṁ tridivaṁ yathā
Bharatas großes Wirken erreichten weder die Könige der Vergangenheit noch werden es die der Zukunft erreichen. Wie man die Himmelswelten nicht allein mit Armkraft berühren kann, so kann niemand die wunderbaren Taten Mahārāja Bharatas nachahmen.
FAQs
This verse praises Bharata’s extraordinary achievement, stating that neither previous nor future kings could match it, and that he attained heaven through his own prowess.
Śukadeva speaks to Parīkṣit Mahārāja (a king) and, by extension, to royal rulers, highlighting Bharata as an unsurpassed standard of royal might and accomplishment.
The verse emphasizes excellence and responsibility in one’s duty—striving for uncommon integrity and capability in one’s role, while remembering that true greatness is measured by exemplary action.