Shloka 34

अध्याय ८ — शल्यस्य सत्कारः, वरदानं, पाण्डवसमागमश्च (Śalya’s Reception, the Boon, and Meeting the Pāṇḍavas)

Devanagari script

“महाराज! नरेश्वर! तुम्हें लोकतन्त्रका सम्यक्‌ ज्ञान है। तात! इसीलिये तुममें लोभजनित कोई भी बर्ताव नहीं है ।। राजर्षीणां पुराणानां मार्गमन्विच्छ भारत । दाने तपसि सत्ये च भव तात युधिष्ठिर,“भारत! प्राचीन राजर्षियोंके मार्गका अनुसरण करो। तात युधिष्छिर! तुम सदा दान, तपस्या और सत्यमें ही संलग्न रहो

Transliteration

mahārāja! nareśvara! tubhyaṁ lokatantrasya samyak jñānam asti. tāta! tasmāt tvayi lobhajanitaḥ kaścid api vyavahāro nāsti. rājārṣīṇāṁ purāṇānāṁ mārgam anviccha bhārata. dāne tapasi satye ca bhava tāta yudhiṣṭhira.

Translation

Vaiśampāyana sprach: „O großer König, o Herr der Menschen, du besitzt ein vollkommenes Verständnis der Grundsätze von Herrschaft und öffentlicher Ordnung. Darum, lieber Sohn, findet sich in dir kein Verhalten, das aus Gier geboren wäre. O Bhārata, folge dem Pfad der alten königlichen Seher. Lieber Yudhiṣṭhira, bleibe stets dem Geben, der Askese und der Wahrheit ergeben.“

Word by Word

• {'mahārāja': 'great king', 'nareśvara': 'lord of men

• ruler', 'lokatantra': 'the system/order of the people

• governance', 'samyak-jñāna': 'correct and complete knowledge', 'tāta': 'dear one

• child (term of affectionate address)', 'lobha': 'greed', 'lobhajanita': 'arising from greed', 'vyavahāra': 'conduct

• behavior', 'rājārṣi': 'royal seer

• king-sage', 'purāṇa (purāṇānām)': 'ancient

• of old (here: the ancients)', 'mārga': 'path

• model of conduct', 'anviccha': 'seek

• pursue', 'bhārata': 'descendant of Bharata

• address to a Kuru prince', 'dāna': 'giving

• generosity', 'tapas': 'austerity

• ascetic restraint', 'satya': 'truth

• truthfulness', 'bhava': 'be

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Yudhiṣṭhira
• Bhārata (epithet/address)
• rājārṣis (ancient royal seers)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

A ruler should model himself on the ancient king-sages and remain free from greed, grounding governance in the triad of dāna (generosity), tapas (disciplined restraint), and satya (truth).

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana praises Yudhiṣṭhira’s understanding of polity and his lack of greed, then exhorts him to follow the exemplary conduct of earlier royal seers by steadfastly practicing charity, austerity, and truthfulness.