Shloka 11

Devanagari script

भव नस्त्वं महाराज राजेह शरदां शतम्‌ | प्रजा: पालय धर्मेण यथेन्द्रस्त्रेदिवं तथा,“महाराज! आप सैकड़ों वर्षोतक हमारे राजा बने रहें। जैसे इन्द्र स्वर्गलोकका पालन करते हैं, उसी प्रकार आप भी धर्मपूर्वक अपनी प्रजाकी रक्षा करें'

Transliteration

bhava nas tvaṃ mahārāja rājendra śaradāṃ śatam | prajāḥ pālaya dharmeṇa yathendras tredivaṃ tathā ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana said: “O great king, O lord of kings, may you remain our ruler for a hundred autumns. Protect your subjects in accordance with dharma, just as Indra safeguards the heavenly realm.”

Word by Word

भवbe (become)

नःof us / our

त्वम्you

महाराजO great king

राजाking

इहhere

शरदाम्of autumns/years

शतम्a hundred

प्रजाःsubjects, people

पालयprotect, govern

धर्मेणby/with righteousness, according to dharma

यथाjust as

इन्द्रःIndra

त्रिदिवम्the threefold heaven / heaven

तथाso, in the same way

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Mahārāja (addressed king)

Indra

Trediva (heaven/svarga)

Prajāḥ (subjects)

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?

The verse presents a central principle of rājadharma: a king’s legitimacy and longevity are tied to righteous protection of the people. Governance is framed as guardianship—maintaining order and welfare through dharma, modeled on Indra’s protective role in heaven.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana voices a formal blessing and exhortation to the king: may he reign long (“a hundred autumns”) and rule by dharma, protecting his subjects as Indra protects the celestial realm. It functions as praise and a normative instruction on ideal kingship.