Shloka 116
Adhyāya 62: Sañjaya’s Admonition to Dhṛtarāṣṭra on Rāja-dharma and Consequence
तत् सर्व यौवनाश्चस्य मान्धातु: क्षेत्रमुच्यते । सूर्य जहाँसे उदय होते थे और जहाँ जाकर अस्त होते थे, वह सारा-का-सारा प्रदेश युवनाश्वपुत्र मान्धाताका क्षेत्र (राज्य) कहलाता था
tat sarvaṃ yauvanāśvasya māndhātuḥ kṣetram ucyate | sūryaḥ yasmāt udayaṃ gacchati yatra ca gatvā astaṃ gacchati, sa sarvaḥ pradeśaḥ yauvanāśva-putra-māndhātuḥ kṣetram (rājyaṃ) iti kathyate |
Nārada said: All that expanse was known as the realm of Māndhātṛ, the son of Yuvanāśva. The entire region—from where the sun is seen to rise to where it goes to set—was spoken of as Māndhātṛ’s domain, evoking the ideal of a king whose sovereignty is measured not merely by conquest but by the ordered protection of the world entrusted to him.
नारद उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse uses the image of the sun’s rise and set to express the ideal of expansive, orderly kingship: a ruler’s greatness is framed as guardianship over a vast, well-held realm, aligning sovereignty with dharmic responsibility rather than mere aggression.
Nārada describes the extent of King Māndhātṛ’s territory, identifying it as the whole region spanning from the place of sunrise to the place of sunset, thereby emphasizing Māndhātṛ’s legendary imperial stature.