Shloka 20

Ādi-parva Adhyāya 98 — Paraśurāma’s kṣatriya suppression; Dīrghatamas, Bali, Sudēṣṇā, and the birth of Aṅga

Devanagari script

पुण्यकर्मकृदेवासीच्छान्तनु: कुरुसत्तम: । प्रतीप: शान्तनु पुत्रं यौवनस्थं ततो5न्वशात्‌,अपने सत्कर्मोद्वारा उपार्जित अक्षय पुण्यलोकोंका स्मरण करके कुरुश्रेष्ठ शान्तनु सदा पुण्यकर्मोंके अनुष्ठानमें ही लगे रहते थे। युवावस्थामें पहुँचे हुए राजकुमार शान्तनुको राजा प्रतीपने आदेश दिया--

Transliteration

puṇyakarmakṛd evāsīc chāntanuḥ kurusattamaḥ | pratīpaḥ śāntanu-putraṃ yauvanasthaṃ tato 'nvaśāt ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana sprach: Śāntanu, der Beste der Kurus, war wahrlich ein Vollbringer verdienstvoller Taten, stets der rechten Lebensführung ergeben und eingedenk der unvergänglichen Früchte, die gute Handlungen eintragen. Daraufhin wies König Pratīpa seinen Sohn Śāntanu, der das Jugendalter erreicht hatte, an und stellte ihn auf den Pfad königlicher Pflicht und strenger Tugend.

Word by Word

• {'puṇya': 'merit

• religious/ethical virtue producing auspicious results', 'karma': 'action

• ritual and moral conduct', 'puṇyakarmakṛt': 'one who performs meritorious deeds', 'āsīt': 'was', 'śāntanuḥ': 'Śāntanu (Kuru king, son of Pratīpa)', 'kurusattamaḥ': 'best among the Kurus

• an epithet of excellence', 'pratīpaḥ': 'Pratīpa (Kuru king, father of Śāntanu)', 'putram': 'son (accusative)', 'yauvanastham': 'standing in youth

• having reached young adulthood', 'tataḥ': 'then

• thereafter', 'anvaśāt': 'commanded

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Śāntanu
• Pratīpa
• Kuru (dynasty)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the ethical ideal of a ruler: sustained commitment to puṇya (meritorious, dharmic action) and the transmission of disciplined conduct through parental/royal instruction, implying that kingship is grounded in moral practice rather than mere power.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana describes Śāntanu as a consistently virtuous Kuru prince/king, and then notes that King Pratīpa, seeing Śāntanu come of age, issues him an instruction—marking a transition into adult responsibilities and royal duty.