Shloka 113
कर्णपर्व — अध्याय ४०
Karṇa’s Pressure on the Pāñcālas; Duryodhana Disabled; Arjuna’s Counter-Advance
राज्ञो धर्मप्रधानस्य राष्ट्रे वसति निर्भय: । कहते हैं समुद्रके तटपर किसी धर्मप्रधान राजाके राज्यमें एक प्रचुर धन-धान्यसे सम्पन्न वैश्य रहता था। वह यज्ञ-यागादि करनेवाला, दानपति, क्षमाशील, अपने वर्णानुकूल कर्ममें तत्पर, पवित्र, बहुत-से पुत्रवाला, संतानप्रेमी और समस्त प्राणियोंपर दया करनेवाला था
sañjaya uvāca | rājño dharmapradhānasya rāṣṭre vasati nirbhayaḥ |
Dijo Sañjaya: En el reino de un rey para quien el dharma era lo primero, vivía un hombre sin temor. En la orilla del mar, dentro del dominio de aquel soberano justo, moraba un vaiśya acaudalado, abundante en grano y riquezas; dedicado a sacrificios y ritos, generoso en el dar, paciente y perdonador, diligente en los deberes propios de su varna, puro en su conducta, bendecido con muchos hijos, amante de su descendencia y compasivo con todos los seres vivos.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames an ethical ideal of governance: when a ruler places dharma first, people can live without fear. The accompanying description highlights the complementary ideal of a virtuous householder—prosperous yet devoted to yajña, charity, forgiveness, purity, family responsibility, and compassion—showing how social well-being arises from both righteous rule and righteous conduct.
Sanjaya begins a descriptive episode by stating that, in the realm of a dharma-centered king, a man lived fearlessly. The narrative then identifies him as a prosperous vaiśya living near the seashore and lists his virtues (ritual devotion, generosity, forbearance, adherence to his duties, purity, many children, affection, and kindness to all beings), setting the moral and social context for what follows.