Shloka 11
Śakuntalā’s Satya-Discourse and the Recognition of Bharata (शकुन्तला–सत्योपदेशः; भरतप्रतिग्रहः)
इति वाचो ब्रुवन्त्यस्ता: स्त्रिय: प्रेमणा नराधिपम्,ऐसी बातें करती हुई वे स्त्रियाँ बड़े प्रेमसे महाराज दुष्यन्तकी स्तुति करतीं और उनके मस्तकपर फूलोंकी वर्षा करती थीं। यत्र-तत्र खड़े हुए श्रेष्ठ ब्राह्मण सब ओर उनकी स्तुति- प्रशंसा करते थे
iti vāco bruvantyāstāḥ striyaḥ premanā narādhipam | yatra-tatra sthitāḥ śreṣṭhā brāhmaṇāḥ sarvato 'sya stuti-praśaṃsāṃ kurvanti | (mūla-pāṭhe puṣpa-vṛṣṭi-śiraso 'pi bhāvaḥ)
Vaiśampāyana said: Speaking in this manner, those women, filled with affection, praised the king; and from every side the foremost brāhmaṇas, standing here and there, likewise offered him eulogy and acclaim. The scene presents a public honoring of royal conduct through loving speech and ritual celebration, underscoring how social approval and priestly praise function as markers of a ruler’s perceived righteousness and worthiness.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how a ruler’s standing is reinforced by communal and priestly recognition: affectionate praise by women and formal commendation by brāhmaṇas together function as ethical-social validation of kingship, suggesting that public trust and dharmic reputation are integral to royal legitimacy.
Women speak lovingly and praise the king, while eminent brāhmaṇas positioned around the gathering also extol him from all sides; the accompanying tradition describes a celebratory showering of flowers upon his head, marking a moment of public honor.