Shloka 6
Chapter 2: Sudarśana Upākhyāna — Atithi-Dharma and the Conquest of Mṛtyu
Gṛhastha-Vrata
दशमस्तस्य पुत्रस्तु दशाश्वो नाम भारत | माहिष्मत्यामभूद् राजा धर्मात्मा सत्यविक्रम:,भारत! उनमेंसे दसवें पुत्रका नाम दशाश्व था जो माहिष्मतीपुरीमें राज्य करता था। वह बड़ा ही धर्मात्मा और सत्यपराक्रमी था
daśamas tasya putras tu daśāśvo nāma bhārata | māhiṣmatyām abhūd rājā dharmātmā satyavikramaḥ ||
Bhishma said: “O Bharata, the tenth son of him was named Daśāśva. He became king in Māhiṣmatī, a ruler devoted to dharma and steadfastly valorous in truth.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse upholds an ideal of kingship: true sovereignty is measured not merely by power or lineage, but by a ruler’s commitment to dharma and truth—courage expressed as ethical steadfastness (satyavikrama).
Bhīṣma continues a genealogical account, identifying the tenth son—Daśāśva—stating that he ruled from Māhiṣmatī and characterizing him as righteous and truth-valorized.