Shloka 5
Ādi Parva, Adhyāya 68 — Sarvadamana’s Childhood and Śakuntalā’s Claim at Court
आम्लेच्छावधिकान् सर्वान् स भुड्क्ते रिपुमर्दन: । रत्नाकरसमुद्रान्तां श्चातुर्वण्यजनावृतान्,राजा दुष्यन्त पृथ्वीके चारों भागोंका तथा समुद्रसे आवृत सम्पूर्ण देशोंका भी पूर्णरूपसे पालन करते थे। उन्होंने अनेक युद्धोंमें विजय पायी थी। रत्नाकर समुद्रतक फैले हुए, चारों वर्णके लोगोंसे भरे-पूरे तथा म्लेच्छ देशकी सीमासे मिले-जुले सम्पूर्ण भूभागोंका वे शत्रुमर्दन नरेश अकेले ही शासन तथा संरक्षण करते थे
vaiśampāyana uvāca | ā-mlecchāvadhikān sarvān sa bhuṅkte ripumardanaḥ | ratnākara-samudrāntāṃ cāturvarṇya-janāvṛtāṃ pṛthivīṃ rājā duṣyantaḥ ||
Vaiśampāyana said: That enemy-crushing king Duṣyanta governed and protected the entire earth—its regions extending up to the ocean, filled with people of the four social orders, and reaching even to the frontier lands bordering the mleccha territories. Having won many battles, he maintained order and kingship over all these domains by his own sovereign power.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights rājadharma: a king’s duty is to protect and govern the whole realm—maintaining order across diverse populations (the four varṇas) and securing even frontier regions—supported by valor and effective sovereignty.
Vaiśampāyana describes King Duṣyanta’s power and extent of rule: he has conquered in many battles and now administers a vast kingdom stretching to the ocean and up to the borders adjoining mleccha territories.