Shloka 54
कुरु: संवरणश्वैव मान्धाता सत्यविक्रम: । मुचुकुन्दश्न राजर्षिजह्लुर्जाह्नविसेवित:
bhīṣma uvāca | kuruḥ saṃvaraṇaś caiva māndhātā satyavikramaḥ | mucukundaś ca rājarṣiḥ jahnuḥ jāhnavī-sevitaḥ ||
Bhīṣma said: “(Remember) Kuru, and also Saṃvaraṇa; Māndhātā of unfailing valor; the royal sage Mucukunda; and Jahnu, who was attended by the river Jāhnavī (Gaṅgā).” In context, the verse continues the litany of righteous kings, presenting their remembrance as an uplifting act that aligns the mind with dharma, royal duty, and exemplary conduct.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse promotes dharmic orientation through remembrance of exemplary rulers: recalling kings famed for truth, valor, and sage-like discipline is presented as a morally formative practice that inspires righteous conduct and reverence for dharma.
Bhishma continues enumerating celebrated royal figures within a larger passage that extols the merit of reciting or remembering the names of virtuous kings; this segment names Kuru, Saṃvaraṇa, Māndhātā, Mucukunda, and Jahnu associated with the river Jāhnavī (Gaṅgā).