Shloka 100

आदि पर्व, अध्याय 67 — गान्धर्वविवाह-समयः

Duḥṣanta–Śakuntalā: Gandharva Marriage and Succession Condition

Devanagari script

जरासन्धो दृढसन्ध: सत्यसन्ध: सहस्रवाक्‌ । उग्रश्नवा उग्रसेन: क्षेममूर्तिस्तथैव च

Transliteration

jarāsandho dṛḍhasandhaḥ satyasandhaḥ sahasravāk | ugraśnavā ugrasenaḥ kṣemamūrtis tathaiva ca

Translation

Vaiśampāyana sprach: „(Da waren Könige wie) Jarāsandha; Dṛḍhasandha, fest in seinen Bündnissen; Satyasandha, wahrhaftig im gegebenen Wort; Sahasravāk, berühmt für tausend Aussprüche; und auch Ugraśnavā, Ugrasena und Kṣemamūrti.“

Word by Word

जरासन्धःJarasandha (name of a king)

दृढसन्धःhaving firm alliances/joints; firm-bound

सत्यसन्धःtrue to his pledge; of truthful resolve

सहस्रवाक्having a thousand voices/speeches; very eloquent

उग्रश्नवाःUgrashravas (name; lit. of fierce fame)

उग्रसेनःUgrasena (name; lit. of fierce army)

क्षेममूर्तिःKṣemamūrti (name; lit. embodiment of welfare)

तथाthus; likewise

एवindeed; just; also

चand

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Jarāsandha

Dṛḍhasandha

Satyasandha

Sahasravāk

Ugraśnavā

Ugrasena

Kṣemamūrti

Vaiśampāyana

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even within a seemingly simple list of names, the Mahābhārata highlights royal virtues: firmness in alliances (dṛḍha-sandha) and fidelity to truth and vows (satya-sandha). Such qualities are presented as ethical foundations for legitimate rule and social stability.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana is reciting a catalogue of notable kings/figures, naming Jarāsandha and others. The verse functions as part of a broader enumeration that situates later events by introducing prominent rulers and the reputations associated with them.