Shloka 4

Kuru Prosperity under Bhīṣma and the Succession of Pāṇḍu (कुरुराष्ट्रसमृद्धिः पाण्डुराज्यप्राप्तिश्च)

Devanagari script

अप्राप्तवति तस्मिंस्तु यौवन पुरुषर्षभे । स राजा शान्तनुर्धीमान्‌ कालधर्ममुपेयिवान्‌,नरश्रेष्ठ विचित्रवीर्य अभी यौवनको प्राप्त भी नहीं हुए थे कि बुद्धिमान्‌ महाराज शान्तनुकी मृत्यु हो गयी

Transliteration

aprāptavati tasmiṃs tu yauvana-puruṣarṣabhe | sa rājā śāntanur dhīmān kāla-dharmam upeyivān, naraśreṣṭha ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana sprach: Während jener Stier unter den Menschen die Jugend noch nicht erreicht hatte, ging der weise König Śāntanu dem Gesetz der Zeit entgegen — er verschied. So blieb das Reich, ehe Vicitravīrya mündig wurde, ohne regierenden Beschützer zurück, und die Last von Nachfolge und Pflicht nach dem Dharma fiel den Ältesten und Hütern zu.

Word by Word

अप्राप्तवतिwhen (he) had not yet attained

तस्मिन्in him / in that (time)

तुbut / indeed

यौवनम्youth

पुरुषर्षभेin the bull among men (i.e., the best of men)

सःhe

राजाking

शान्तनुःŚāntanu

धीमान्wise

कालधर्मम्the law/way of time (i.e., death)

उपेयिवान्having reached / met (i.e., died)

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Śāntanu

Vicitravīrya

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even the wisest and most powerful are subject to kāla-dharma—the inevitable order of Time. The verse underscores impermanence and the dharmic urgency of preparing for succession and responsibility before unforeseen loss occurs.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana states that before Vicitravīrya had reached youth, King Śāntanu died. This sets the stage for a succession crisis and the need for guardianship and political-dharmic decisions in the Kuru lineage.