Shloka 19
Āṇīmāṇḍavya–Upākhyāna
The Account of Āṇīmāṇḍavya and the Birth of Vidura
तस्मिन् कुरुपतिश्रेष्ठे राजराजेश्वरे सति । श्रिता वागभवत् सत्यं दानधर्माश्रितं मन:,कुरुवंशी नरेशोंमें श्रेष्ठ राजराजेश्वर शान्तनुके शासन-कालमें सबकी वाणी सत्यके आश्रित थी--सभी सत्य बोलते थे और सबका मन दान एवं धर्ममें लगता था
tasmin kurupatiśreṣṭhe rājarājeśvare sati | śritā vāg abhavat satyaṁ dānadharmāśritaṁ manaḥ ||
Als jener erhabenste Herr der Kurus—Śāntanu, König unter Königen—auf dem Thron saß, war das Wort in der Wahrheit verankert: alle sprachen wahr, und ihre Herzen waren dem Geben und dem Dharma zugewandt.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse links good kingship with moral culture: when a righteous sovereign rules, society naturally becomes grounded in satya (truthful speech) and oriented toward dāna and dharma (generosity and righteous conduct).
Vaiśampāyana describes the condition of the Kuru realm during King Śāntanu’s rule, emphasizing that his reign was marked by truthfulness in public speech and a collective inclination toward charity and dharma.