Shloka 54

Devanagari script

जातिं देशं च सत्यं च माहात्म्यं भरतर्षभ | धर्म वृत्ति च विज्ञाय क्षत्रियाणां नराधिप

Transliteration

jātiṃ deśaṃ ca satyaṃ ca māhātmyaṃ bharatarṣabha | dharmavṛttiṃ ca vijñāya kṣatriyāṇāṃ narādhipa rājan bharataśreṣṭha ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana sprach: „O Stier unter den Bharatas, o König—der Beste aus der Bharata-Linie—nachdem ich Herkunft und Heimat, Wahrhaftigkeit und Größe sowie auch Dharma und die überlieferte Lebensführung der Kṣatriyas erkannt habe, will ich nun darlegen, welche Gaben den Brāhmaṇas in jedem Parvan darzubringen sind, sobald die Erzählung des Mahābhārata begonnen hat.“

Word by Word

• जातिम्: caste/lineage
• जातिम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: जाति
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• देशम्: country/region
• देशम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: देश
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

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

• सत्यम्: truthfulness/true state
• सत्यम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत्य
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

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

• माहात्म्यम्: greatness/glory
• माहात्म्यम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: माहात्म्य
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• भरतर्षभ: O bull among the Bharatas
• Type: Noun
• Root: भरत-ऋषभ
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• धर्मम्: duty/righteousness
• धर्मम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• वृत्तिम्: conduct/way of life
• वृत्तिम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृत्ति
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

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

• विज्ञाय: having known/understood
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-ज्ञा
• Form: क्त्वा (absolutive/gerund), Parasmaipada (usage-neutral for gerund)

• क्षत्रियाणाम्: of the Kshatriyas
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षत्रिय
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• नराधिप: O ruler of men (king)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर-अधिप
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Bharata (dynasty)
• kṣatriyas
• brāhmaṇas
• king (addressed interlocutor)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse frames ethical narration as grounded in dharma: understanding a ruler’s lineage, land, truthfulness, and greatness, along with kṣatriya norms, guides proper conduct—here expressed as appropriate, parvan-specific offerings to brāhmaṇas.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana addresses the king and announces a forthcoming description: once the Mahābhārata story is underway, he will explain, for each parvan, what gifts should be offered to brāhmaṇas, based on the recognized qualities and dharma-conduct of kṣatriyas.