Shloka 43

Devanagari script

अक्षुद्रसचिवश्चायं कुन्तीपुत्रो महामना: । 'ये कुन्तीकुमार सदा कुबेरके समान दीर्घदर्शी, कोमल स्वभाववाले और जितेन्द्रिय हैं। इनके मन्त्री भी उच्च विचारके हैं। इनका हृदय बड़ा ही विशाल है ।। अप्यमित्रे दयावांश्व शुचिश्न॒ भरतर्षभ:

Transliteration

akṣudrasacivaś cāyaṃ kuntīputro mahāmanāḥ | ye kuntīkumarāḥ sadā kubera-samaḥ dīrghadarśī komala-svabhāvavān jitendriyaḥ | eṣāṃ mantriṇo 'pi ucca-vicārāḥ | asya hṛdayaṃ bṛhad eva || apy amitre dayāvān śuciḥ bharatarṣabhaḥ |

Translation

Vaiśampāyana said: “This son of Kuntī is great-souled, attended by ministers of no petty mind. Like Kubera in steadfast prosperity, he is far-sighted, gentle by nature, and self-controlled. His counsellors too are men of elevated judgment, and his heart is truly expansive. Even toward an enemy, O bull among the Bharatas, he is compassionate and pure.”

Word by Word

अक्षुद्रसचिवःhaving noble (not mean) ministers

चand

अयम्this

कुन्तीपुत्रःKunti's son

महामनाःgreat-souled, magnanimous

अपिeven, also

अमित्रेtowards an enemy / in the case of an enemy

दयावान्compassionate

चand

शुचिःpure, clean (in conduct)

भरतर्षभःbull among the Bharatas (best of the Bharatas)

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Kuntī

Kuntīputra (Yudhiṣṭhira, implied)

Kubera

Bharatas (dynastic epithet)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Noble rule is marked by self-mastery, far-sighted judgment, and an expansive heart; true purity includes compassion even toward opponents, and good governance depends on high-minded counsel.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana describes the character of Kuntī’s son (implicitly Yudhiṣṭhira), praising his prudent, gentle, self-controlled nature and the quality of his ministers, emphasizing his compassion even toward enemies.