Mahabharata 1.175.4 — Adi Parva, Adhyaya 175, Shloka 4

पाण्डवानां पाञ्चालगमनम्

The Pāṇḍavas’ Journey toward Pāñcāla and News of the Svayaṃvara

Devanagari script

तस्य धर्मात्मन: पुत्र: समृद्धबलवाहन: । विश्वामित्र इति ख्यातो बभूव रिपुमर्दन:

Transliteration

tasya dharmātmanaḥ putraḥ samṛddha-balavāhanaḥ | viśvāmitra iti khyāto babhūva ripumardanaḥ ||

Translation

Der Gandharva sprach: „Der Sohn jenes Königs, der von rechtschaffener Seele war, wurde unter dem Namen Viśvāmitra berühmt. Mit reicher Kraft begabt und mit Heeren und Fahrzeugen wohlgerüstet, wurde er zum Zermalmer der Feinde—einer, der königliche Pflicht durch Macht erfüllte, die vom Dharma gezügelt war.“

Word by Word

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Adhikarana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Singular

• धर्मात्मनः: of the righteous-souled (king)
• धर्मात्मनः: Adhikarana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धर्मात्मन्
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• पुत्रः: son
• पुत्रः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुत्र
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• समृद्धबलवाहनः: having abundant army and vehicles/transport
• समृद्धबलवाहनः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: समृद्धबलवाहन
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• विश्वामित्रः: Viśvāmitra
• विश्वामित्रः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: विश्वामित्र
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• इति: thus; as (named)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति

• ख्यातः: renowned; known
• ख्यातः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ख्यात
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• बभूव: became; was
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू
• Form: Perfect (Liṭ), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• रिपुमर्दनः: crusher of enemies
• रिपुमर्दनः: Karta
• Type: Noun/Adjective
• Root: रिपुमर्दन
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

गन्धर्व उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Viśvāmitra
• the dharmātmā king (unnamed in this verse)
• enemies (ripu)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse links royal power to dharma: true renown arises when strength, resources, and martial capability are grounded in righteousness, making a ruler effective against wrongdoing without abandoning ethical duty.

What is happening in the narrative?

A Gandharva identifies the son of a previously mentioned righteous king as Viśvāmitra, describing him as well-equipped with forces and vehicles and famed as a subduer of enemies.