Shloka 65

Devanagari script

विरूपाश्वेन निमिना जनकेन च धीमता । ऐलेन पृथुना चैव वीरसेनेन चैव ह

Transliteration

virūpāśvena niminā janakena ca dhīmatā | ailena pṛthunā caiva vīrasenena caiva ha ||

Translation

Bhīṣma sprach: „Dieses (Dharma/diese Lehre) wurde bewahrt und vorbildlich gelebt von Virūpāśva, von Nimi, vom weisen Janaka, von Aila (aus der Monddynastie), von Pṛthu und wahrlich auch von Vīrasena.“

Word by Word

विरूपाश्वेनby Virūpāśva

निमिनाby Nimi

जनकेनby Janaka

चand

धीमताby the wise (one)

ऐलेनby Aila (descendant of Ilā)

पृथुनाby Pṛthu

चand

एवindeed/also

वीरसेनेनby Vīrasena

चand

एवindeed/also

हindeed (emphatic particle)

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Virūpāśva

Nimi

Janaka

Aila

Pṛthu

Vīrasena

Bhīṣma

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Bhīṣma reinforces dharma by citing authoritative exemplars—renowned kings and king-sages—implying that the teaching he is giving is not merely theoretical but validated by the conduct of celebrated rulers.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Anuśāsana Parva’s instruction section, Bhīṣma continues advising Yudhiṣṭhira and supports his point by listing past kings (Virūpāśva, Nimi, Janaka, Aila, Pṛthu, Vīrasena) as precedents who practiced or upheld the same principle.