Shloka 35
अध्याय ९५: चित्राङ्गदस्य गन्धर्वेण सह संग्रामः तथा विचित्रवीर्यस्य राज्याभिषेकः
Chitrāṅgada’s duel with the Gandharva and Vicitravīrya’s consecration
आरक्षे संवरणे राजन् प्रशासति वसुंधराम् । संक्षय: सुमहानासीत् प्रजानामिति न: श्रुतम्,जनमेजय! ऋक्षपुत्र संवरण जब इस पृथ्वीका शासन कर रहे थे, उस समय प्रजाका बहुत बड़ा संहार हुआ था, ऐसा हमने सुना है
ārakṣe saṃvaraṇe rājan praśāsati vasuṃdharām | saṃkṣayaḥ sumahān āsīt prajānām iti naḥ śrutam, janamejaya |
Vaiśampāyana sprach: „O König Janamejaya, wir haben gehört, dass, als Saṃvaraṇa, der Sohn Ṛkṣas, die Erde regierte und beschützte, ein überaus großes Verderben über die Menschen kam.“
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores rajadharma: a king’s foremost duty is to protect and govern for the welfare of the people, yet it also cautions that societal catastrophe can occur even during a reign—highlighting the seriousness of rulership and the vulnerability of subjects.
Vaiśaṃpāyana addresses King Janamejaya and reports a traditional account: during King Saṃvaraṇa’s rule over the earth, a massive destruction of the populace took place.