Shloka 1.33.8

कुशनाभकन्याशतविवाहः — The Marriage of Kuśanābha’s Hundred Daughters (and the Birth of Brahmadatta)

Devanagari script

क्षमा दानं क्षमा यज्ञः क्षमा सत्यं हि पुत्रिका:।।1.33.8।।क्षमा यश: क्षमा धर्म: क्षमया निष्ठितं जगत्।

Transliteration

kṣamā dānaṁ kṣamā yajñaḥ kṣamā satyaṁ hi putrikāḥ | kṣamā yaśaḥ kṣamā dharmaḥ kṣamayā niṣṭhitaṁ jagat || 1.33.8 ||

Translation

Forbearance is charity; forbearance is sacrifice; forbearance indeed is truth, O daughters. Forbearance is glory; forbearance is dharma—by forbearance the world is upheld.

Context

"Forbearance is charity, forbearance is sacrifice, forbearance is truth, forbearance is glory and forbearance is virtue. O daughters, the universe is supported by forbearance".

Characters & Entities

• King Kūśanābha
• the daughters (putrikāḥ)
• jagat (the world)

FAQs

What is the core ethical principle (Dharma) in this verse?

Kṣamā is presented as the root of multiple dharmic goods—dāna, yajña, satya, yaśas, and dharma itself—suggesting that social and spiritual order depends on disciplined restraint rather than retaliation.

What is the narrative situation?

The king explicitly instructs his daughters, turning their lived experience into a moral teaching about the sustaining power of forbearance.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Kṣamā as a comprehensive virtue that supports truthfulness (satya) and righteous living (dharma).