Shloka 15

Samrāt-Lakṣaṇa and the Counsel to Check Jarāsandha (सम्राट्-लक्षणं जरासन्ध-प्रतिबाधा-परामर्शः)

Devanagari script

भगदत्तो महाराज वृद्धस्तव पितु: सखा । स वाचा प्रणतस्तस्य कर्मणा च विशेषत:

Transliteration

Bhagadatto mahārāja vṛddhas tava pituḥ sakhā | sa vācā praṇatas tasya karmaṇā ca viśeṣataḥ ||

Translation

Bhagadatta, o großer König, ist ein betagter Freund deines Vaters. Er ist ihm ergeben: durch Worte ehrerbietiger Unterwerfung und noch deutlicher durch seine Taten.

Word by Word

• भगदत्तः: Bhagadatta
• भगदत्तः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: भगदत्त
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• महाराज: O great king
• Type: Noun
• Root: महाराज
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• वृद्धः: aged, elder
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वृद्ध
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• तव: of you, your
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: युष्मद्
• Form: —, Genitive, Singular

• पितुः: of (your) father
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• सखा: friend
• Type: Noun
• Root: सखि
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• सः: he
• सः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• वाचा: by speech, with words
• वाचा: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाच्
• Form: Feminine, Instrumental, Singular

• प्रणतः: bowed down, respectful
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र-नम्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular, Past passive participle (क्त)

• तस्य: of him, to him (contextually)
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Singular

• कर्मणा: by action, by deed
• कर्मणा: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्मन्
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• विशेषतः: especially, particularly
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विशेषतः

Speaker

श्रीकृष्ण उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhagadatta
• Mahārāja (addressed king)
• the king's father (pituḥ)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights an ethical measure of character: respect shown in words is meaningful, but devotion and loyalty are proven more decisively through actions (karmaṇā… viśeṣataḥ).

What is happening in the narrative?

Śrī Kṛṣṇa identifies Bhagadatta to the addressed king as an elderly, long-standing friend of the king’s father, emphasizing Bhagadatta’s demonstrated allegiance through both speech and deeds.