Shloka 122
'सूंजय! संकृतिके पुत्र राज रन्तिदेव भी कालके गालमें चले गये, यह हमारे सुननेमें आया है। उन महातपस्वी नरेशने इन्द्रकी अच्छी तरह आराधना करके उनसे यह वर माँगा कि “हमारे पास अन्न बहुत हो, हम सदा अतिथियोंकी सेवाका अवसर प्राप्त करें, हमारी श्रद्धा दूर न हो और हम किसीसे कुछ भी न माँगें' ।। उपातिष्ठन्त पशव: स्वयं त॑ संशितव्रतम् । ग्राम्यारण्या महात्मानं रन्तिदेवं यशस्विनम्,“कठोर व्रतका पालन करनेवाले, यशस्वी महात्मा राजा रन्तिदेवके पास गाँवों और जंगलोंके पशु अपने-आप यज्ञके लिये उपस्थित हो जाते थे
Sūñjaya! Saṅkṛtike putro rājā Rantidevo bhī Kālaka-gāleṃ cale gaye, iti asmākaṃ śravaṇam āgatam. Sa mahātapā nṛpo Indram suṣṭhu ārādhya tataḥ idaṃ varaṃ yayāce—“asmākaṃ sannidhau annaṃ bahu syāt, vayaṃ sadā atithi-sevāyāḥ avasaraṃ labhemahi, asmākaṃ śraddhā na dūre bhavet, vayaṃ ca kasyacit kiñcid api na yācema.” Upātiṣṭhanta paśavaḥ svayaṃ taṃ saṃśita-vratam; grāmyāraṇyā mahātmānaṃ Rantidevaṃ yaśasvinam.
Vāyu said: “O Sūñjaya, we have heard that King Rantideva, the son of Saṅkṛti, has also departed to the abode of Kāla (Death). That great ascetic king, having duly worshipped Indra, asked him for this boon: ‘May there be abundant food in our house; may we always obtain the opportunity to serve guests; may our faith not fall away; and may we never have to beg anything from anyone.’ And so it came to pass that animals—both domestic and wild—would of their own accord present themselves for sacrifice before the illustrious, great-souled Rantideva, who was steadfast in severe vows.”
वायुदेव उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights dharma through hospitality and selfless giving: a righteous ruler seeks not power but the capacity to feed others, serve guests continually, keep faith steady, and avoid dependence on begging—showing that ethical kingship is grounded in generosity, restraint, and devotion.
Vāyu recounts what is heard about King Rantideva’s life and passing: after worshipping Indra, Rantideva receives boons aligned with service and abundance; as a result, animals—domestic and wild—come of their own accord for sacrificial purposes, underscoring his fame and strict observance of vows.