Shloka 8

Devanagari script

दशाश्वका पुत्र भी बड़ा धर्मात्मा राजा था। उसका मन सदा सत्य, तपस्या और दानमें ही लगा रहता था ।। मदिराश्च इति ख्यातः पृथिव्यां पृथिवीपति: । धनुर्वेदे च वेदे च निरतो यो5भवत्‌ सदा,वह राजा इस भूतलपर मदिराश्वके नामसे विख्यात था और सदा वेद एवं धरनुर्वेदके अभ्यासमें संलग्न रहता था

Transliteration

madirāśvaḥ iti khyātaḥ pṛthivyāṃ pṛthivīpatiḥ | dhanurvede ca vede ca nirato yo ’bhavat sadā ||

Translation

Bhishma said: There was a king on this earth renowned by the name Madirāśva. Ever steadfast, he remained constantly devoted both to the Veda and to the science of archery—uniting sacred learning with disciplined martial training, as befits a righteous ruler.

Word by Word

मदिराश्वकःMadirāśvaka (name of the king)

इतिthus (as)

ख्यातःrenowned, famed

पृथिव्याम्on the earth

पृथिवीपतिःlord of the earth, king

धनुर्वेदेin the science of archery

चand

वेदेin the Veda

चand

निरतःengaged, devoted

यःwho

अभवत्was, became

सदाalways

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhīṣma

Madirāśva

Pṛthivī (earth)

Veda

Dhanurveda

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

An ideal ruler integrates spiritual-ethical learning (Veda) with disciplined martial competence (Dhanurveda). Renown is grounded not merely in power but in steady commitment to knowledge and self-control.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhishma introduces a king named Madirāśva, describing him as famous on earth and consistently devoted to studying both the Veda and the martial science of archery, setting up an exemplar of righteous kingship.