Shloka 17

Vidurā–Putra Saṃvāda: Utsāha, Kīrti, and Kṣātra Resolve

Udyoga-parva 131

Devanagari script

राजा कृतयुगस््रष्टा त्रेताया द्वापरस्य च । युगस्य च चतुर्थस्य राजा भवति कारणम्‌

Transliteration

rājā kṛtayugasraṣṭā tretāyā dvāparasya ca | yugasya ca caturthasya rājā bhavati kāraṇam ||

Translation

Vāyu said: The king is the maker of the Kṛta age, and likewise of the Tretā and the Dvāpara; indeed, the king becomes the determining cause even of the fourth age (Kali). In other words, the moral quality of an era is shaped chiefly by the ruler’s conduct and governance.

Word by Word

• राजा: the king
• राजा: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• कृतयुगस्रष्टा: creator/ordainer of the Kṛta-yuga
• कृतयुगस्रष्टा: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृतयुग-स्रष्टृ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• त्रेतायाः: of the Tretā (yuga)
• त्रेतायाः: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रेता
• Form: Feminine, Genitive, Singular

• द्वापरस्य: of the Dvāpara (yuga)
• द्वापरस्य: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वापर
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• युगस्य: of the yuga
• युगस्य: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: युग
• Form: Neuter, Genitive, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• चतुर्थस्य: of the fourth
• चतुर्थस्य: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चतुर्थ
• Form: Neuter, Genitive, Singular

• राजा: the king
• राजा: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• भवति: becomes/is
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू
• Form: Present, Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

• कारणम्: the cause
• कारणम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: कारण
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

वायुदेव उवाच

Characters & Entities

• वायुदेव (Vāyu)
• राजा (the king)
• कृतयुग (Kṛta/Satya-yuga)
• त्रेता (Tretā-yuga)
• द्वापर (Dvāpara-yuga)
• चतुर्थ युग / कलियुग (the fourth age, Kali-yuga)