Shloka 17

Devanagari script

क्षितावन्‍न्धकवृष्णीनां वंशे वंशभूतां वर: । परया शुशुभे लक्ष्म्या नक्षत्राणामिवोडुराट्‌,“अन्धक और वृष्णियोंके कुलमें वंशधारियोंमें श्रेष्ठ वे ही भगवान्‌ इस पृथ्वीपर प्रकट हो अपनी सर्वोत्तम कान्तिसे उसी प्रकार शोभायमान हैं, जैसे नक्षत्रोंमें चन्द्रमा सुशोभित होते हैं

Transliteration

kṣitāv andhakavṛṣṇīnāṁ vaṁśe vaṁśabhūtāṁ varaḥ | parayā śuśubhe lakṣmyā nakṣatrāṇām ivodurāṭ ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana sprach: In dieser Welt, unter den Andhakas und Vṛṣṇis, erstrahlte der Vorzüglichste unter den Trägern des Geschlechts in höchster Pracht—wie der Mond, der Herrscher unter den Sternen.

Word by Word

क्षितौon the earth

अन्धकवृष्णीनाम्of the Andhakas and the Vrishnis

वंशेin the lineage

वंशभूताम्having become (its) lineal continuation; being the bearer of the line

वरःthe best, excellent one

परयाwith supreme

शुशुभेshone, was resplendent

लक्ष्म्याwith splendor/beauty (Lakshmi)

नक्षत्राणाम्of the stars

इवlike, as

उडुराट्the moon (king of stars)

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Andhakas

Vṛṣṇis

uḍurāṭ (the Moon)

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?

True excellence is portrayed as both ethical and auspicious: the foremost bearer of a lineage brings order and confidence to society, shining as a standard for others—like the moon guiding the night sky.

What is happening in the narrative?

The narrator Vaiśampāyana describes the eminent figure among the Andhakas and Vṛṣṇis appearing on earth and radiating extraordinary splendor, using the moon-among-stars comparison to emphasize his preeminence.