Shloka 1.9.4
ऋश्यशृङ्गानयनकथा — The Account of Bringing Ṛśyaśṛṅga (and the Remedy for Drought)
स वने नित्यसंवृद्धो मुनिर्वनचरस्सदा ।नान्यं जानाति विप्रेन्द्रो नित्यं पित्रनुवर्तनात् ।।।।
etasminn eva kāle tu romapādaḥ pratāpavān |
aṅgeṣu prathito rājā bhaviṣyati mahābalaḥ ||
At that very time, Romapāda—a powerful and valiant king, renowned in the land of Aṅga—was ruling there with great might.
Grown up in the forest and always moving with his father, that sage knows none other than his father.
The verse sets up the king’s dharma: political power must be guided by righteousness, because a ruler’s conduct affects the whole realm.
A new key figure—King Romapāda of Aṅga—is introduced as the concurrent ruler in the storyline.
Royal strength and public renown are noted, foreshadowing responsibility and consequences tied to kingship.