Shloka 1

Devanagari script

अफड-्-क+ >> सप्तनवतितमो< ध्याय: राजा प्रतीपका गंगाको पुत्रवधूके रूपमें स्वीकार करना और शान्तनुका जन्म, राज्याभिषेक तथा गंगासे मिलना वैशम्पायन उवाच ततः प्रतीपो राजा55सीत्‌ सर्वभूतहित:ः सदा । निषसाद समा बद्दीर्गज्राद्वारगतो जपन्‌,वैशम्पायनजी कहते हैं--तदनन्तर इस पृथ्वीपर राजा प्रतीप राज्य करने लगे। वे सदा सम्पूर्ण प्राणियोंके हितमें संलग्न रहते थे। एक समय महाराज प्रतीप गंगाद्वार (हरिद्वार)-में गये और बहुत वर्षोतक जप करते हुए एक आसनपर बैठे रहे इस प्रकार श्रीमह्याभारत आदिपर्वके अन्तर्गत सम्भवपर्वमें शान्तनूपाख्यानविषयक सत्तानबेवाँ अध्याय पूरा हुआ ॥/ ९७ ॥ (दाक्षिणात्य अधिक पाठके ६ श्लोक मिलाकर कुल ३८ श्लोक हैं) अपने-आप बछ। अर: अष्टनवतितमोब् ध्याय: शान्तनु और 8884: फे छ शर्तोके साथ सम्बन्ध, वसुओंका जन्म और ५ उद्धार तथा भीष्मकी उत्पत्ति वैशम्पायन उवाच एतच्छूत्वा वचो राज्ञ: सस्मितं मृदु वल्गु च । (यशस्विनी च सा55गच्छच्छान्तनो भूतये तदा । सा च दृष्टवा नृपश्रेष्ठ चरन्तं तीरमाश्रितम्‌ ।।) वसूनां समयं स्मृत्वाथाभ्यगच्छदनिन्दिता

Transliteration

vaiśampāyana uvāca | tataḥ pratīpo rājā āsīt sarvabhūtahitaḥ sadā | niṣasāda samā bahvīr gaṅgādvāragato japan |

Translation

Vaiśampāyana said: Thereafter King Pratīpa ruled the earth, ever devoted to the welfare of all beings. Once he went to Gaṅgādvāra (the gateway of the Gaṅgā) and, practicing japa for many years, remained seated in a single posture.

Word by Word

वैशम्पायनःVaishampayana

उवाचsaid

ततःthen/thereafter

प्रतीपःPratipa

राजाking

आसीत्was

सर्वभूतहितःbeneficial to all beings

सदाalways

निषसादsat down

समाःyears

बह्वीःmany

गङ्गाद्वारगतःgone to Gangadvara (Haridvara)

जपन्chanting/muttering (prayers)

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Pratīpa

Gaṅgādvāra (Haridwar; gateway of the Gaṅgā)

Gaṅgā (implied by Gaṅgādvāra)

japa (practice)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse presents an ethical model of rulership: a king should be sarvabhūtahita—committed to the welfare of all beings—and should cultivate inner discipline through sustained spiritual practice (japa). Governance is shown as inseparable from personal restraint and moral intent.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana introduces King Pratīpa’s reign and describes him going to Gaṅgādvāra, where he sits for many years performing japa. This sets the stage for subsequent events in the lineage narrative connected with the Kuru dynasty.