Shloka 2
Āṇīmāṇḍavya–Upākhyāna
The Account of Āṇīmāṇḍavya and the Birth of Vidura
दमो दान क्षमा बुद्धिह्लीर्धतिस्तेज उत्तमम् । नित्यान्यासन् महासत्त्वे शान्तनौ पुरुषर्षभे,उन महाबली नरश्रेष्ठ शान्तनुमें इन्द्रियसंयम, दान, क्षमा, बुद्धि, लज्जा, धैर्य तथा उत्तम तेज आदि सदगुण सदा विद्यमान थे
vaiśampāyana uvāca | damo dānaṃ kṣamā buddhir hrīr dhṛtis teja uttamam | nityāny āsan mahāsattve śāntanau puruṣarṣabhe ||
Vaiśampāyana sprach: In Śāntanu – dem Stier unter den Menschen, einem mächtigen Herrscher von großer Seele – waren stets Selbstbeherrschung, Freigebigkeit, Nachsicht, kluges Urteil, Schamhaftigkeit, Standhaftigkeit und höchster Glanz gegenwärtig.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse presents an ideal of dharmic kingship: true greatness is marked by inner virtues—self-restraint, generosity, forgiveness, discernment, modesty, steadfastness, and noble radiance—rather than by force alone.
The narrator Vaiśampāyana is describing King Śāntanu’s character, listing the enduring qualities that made him a ‘best of men’ and a powerful yet ethically grounded ruler.