Shloka 13

Devanagari script

अलर्कमाहुर्नरवर्य सनन्‍्तं सत्यव्रतं काशिकरूषराजम्‌ | विहाय राज्यानि वसूनि चैव नेशे बलस्येति चरेदधर्मम्‌,नरश्रेष्ठू काशी और करूषदेशके राजा अलर्कको सत्यप्रतिज्ञ संत बताया गया है। उन्होंने राज्य और धन त्यागकर धर्मका आश्रय लिया है। अत: अपनेको अधिक शक्तिशाली समझकर अधर्मका आचरण नहीं करना चाहिये

Transliteration

alarkam āhur naravarya sanantaṃ satyavrataṃ kāśi-karūṣa-rājam | vihāya rājyāni vasūni caiva neśe balasyeti cared adharmaṃ ||

Translation

O best of men, they speak of Alarka—the king of Kāśī and Karūṣa—as a venerable sage-like ruler, steadfast in truth. Having renounced his kingdoms and his wealth, he took refuge in dharma. Therefore, one should not commit adharma on the pretext, ‘I am strong.’

Word by Word

• [{'term': 'alarka', 'definition': 'Alarka

• a famed king held up as an exemplar of truth and renunciation'}, {'term': 'naravarya / naraśreṣṭha', 'definition': 'O best among men

• an honorific form of address'}, {'term': 'sanantam', 'definition': 'ancient

• long-established (as in reputation/tradition)'}, {'term': 'satyavrata', 'definition': 'one whose vow is truth

• steadfastly truthful'}, {'term': 'kāśi-karūṣa-rājan', 'definition': 'king of Kāśī and Karūṣa'}, {'term': 'vihāya', 'definition': 'having abandoned

• having renounced'}, {'term': 'rājyāni', 'definition': 'kingdoms

• sovereignties'}, {'term': 'vasūni', 'definition': 'wealth

• possessions'}, {'term': 'dharma', 'definition': 'righteous conduct

• duty'}, {'term': 'adharma', 'definition': 'unrighteousness

• moral transgression'}, {'term': 'balasya iti', 'definition': '‘because of strength’

• ‘on the grounds of being powerful’'}, {'term': 'caret', 'definition': 'one should practice/act

Speaker

मार्कण्डेय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Mārkaṇḍeya
• Alarka
• Kāśī
• Karūṣa

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Strength is not a license for wrongdoing. True nobility lies in truthfulness and restraint; even a king may renounce power and wealth to uphold dharma, so one should never justify adharma by claiming superior force.

What is happening in the narrative?

Mārkaṇḍeya cites Alarka, the king of Kāśī and Karūṣa, as a renowned example: he is remembered as truthful and venerable, and as one who abandoned kingdom and riches for dharma—used here to admonish against arrogant, power-based misconduct.