Shloka 4
Ādi-parva Adhyāya 98 — Paraśurāma’s kṣatriya suppression; Dīrghatamas, Bali, Sudēṣṇā, and the birth of Aṅga
प्रतीपस्तु महीपालस्तामुवाच यशस्विनीम् | करोमि कि ते कल्याणि प्रियं यत् तेडभिकाड्क्षितम्,अपनी जाँघपर बैठी हुई उस यशस्विनी नारीसे राजा प्रतीपने पूछा--“कल्याणि! मैं तुम्हारा कौन-सा प्रिय कार्य करूँ? तुम्हारी क्या इच्छा है?”
pratīpastu mahīpālastāmuvāca yaśasvinīm | karomi ki te kalyāṇi priyaṃ yat te'bhikāṅkṣitam ||
Vaiśampāyana dijo: El rey Pratīpa, señor de la tierra, se dirigió a aquella ilustre mujer sentada sobre su muslo: «Dama auspiciosa, ¿qué deseo querido tuyo he de cumplir? ¿Qué es lo que anhelas?»
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores dharmic kingship: a ruler should act with courtesy and self-restraint, seeking to understand another’s intention and offering help without coercion or presumption.
King Pratīpa addresses an illustrious woman who has sat upon his thigh and asks what she desires, offering to fulfill her wish—setting up the ensuing revelation and conditions connected with their encounter.