Shloka 13
Ādi-parva Adhyāya 98 — Paraśurāma’s kṣatriya suppression; Dīrghatamas, Bali, Sudēṣṇā, and the birth of Aṅga
पृथिव्यां पार्थिवा ये च तेषां यूयं परायणम् । गुणा न हि मया शकया वक्तुं वर्षशतैरपि,पृथ्वीपर जितने राजा हैं, उन सबके आपलोग उत्तम आश्रय हैं। सौ वर्षोमें भी आपलोगोंके गुणोंका वर्णन मैं नहीं कर सकती
pṛthivyāṃ pārthivā ye ca teṣāṃ yūyaṃ parāyaṇam | guṇā na hi mayā śakyā vaktuṃ varṣaśatair api ||
Pratīpa sprach: „Unter allen Königen, die auf Erden weilen, seid ihr ihre höchste Zuflucht und ihr letzter Rückhalt. Wahrlich, selbst in hundert Jahren vermöchte ich eure Tugenden nicht vollständig zu schildern.“
प्रतीप उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights an ethical ideal of kingship: true greatness is measured by guṇa (virtue) and by being a parāyaṇa—an ultimate refuge for others. It also models humility, acknowledging that genuine excellence can exceed the limits of praise.
Pratīpa addresses a respected group (spoken to in the plural), declaring them the foremost support among all earthly rulers and stating that their virtues are too vast to be fully described even over a hundred years.