Shloka 2

Duḥṣantasya Vana-praveśaḥ

King Duḥṣanta’s Entry into the Forest Hunt

Devanagari script

स चेदिविषयं रम्यं वसु: पौरवनन्दन: । इन्द्रोपदेशाज्जग्राह रमणीयं महीपति:,पौरवनन्दन राजा उपरिचर वसुने इन्द्रके कहनेसे अत्यन्त रमणीय चेदिदेशका राज्य स्वीकार किया था

Transliteration

sa cediviṣayaṃ ramyaṃ vasuḥ pauravanandanaḥ | indropadeśāj jagrāha ramaṇīyaṃ mahīpatiḥ ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana sprach: Vasu, der Stolz der Paurava-Linie, nahm das liebliche Reich Cedi—ein überaus anmutiges Königreich—auf Indras Rat hin an. Die Stelle rahmt seine Thronbesteigung nicht als bloße Eroberung oder Ehrgeiz, sondern als Königtum, das unter göttlicher Weisung übernommen wird, und deutet damit die Pflicht des Herrschers an, im Einklang mit höherer Führung und zum Wohl des Landes zu regieren.

Word by Word

सःhe

चेदि-विषयम्the Cedi territory/realm

रम्यम्charming, delightful

वसुःVasu (name)

पौरव-नन्दनःdescendant/son of the Pauravas

इन्द्र-उपदेशात्from Indra's instruction; at Indra's bidding

जग्राहaccepted, took

रमणीयम्very delightful

महीपतिःthe king, lord of the earth

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Vasu (Uparicara Vasu)

Indra

Cedi (Cedi-deśa/viṣaya)

Paurava lineage

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?

The verse suggests that rightful kingship is ideally grounded in dharmic legitimacy and higher counsel: a ruler assumes responsibility for a realm not merely by desire, but in accordance with guidance that symbolizes cosmic order and duty.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana narrates that King Vasu, famed as a Paurava descendant, took charge of the beautiful Cedi realm because Indra instructed him to do so—introducing Vasu’s connection to Cedi and the divine sanction behind his rule.