Shloka 56

नलस्य बाहुकत्वेन ऋतुपर्णनगरप्रवेशः

Nala as Bāhuka enters Ṛtuparṇa’s city

Devanagari script

वीर विक्रान्त धर्मज्ञ सत्यसंध महीपते

Transliteration

vīra vikrānta dharmajña satyasaṃdha mahīpate

Translation

Oh rey heroico, poderoso en el valor, conocedor del dharma y firme en la verdad: oh soberano de la tierra.

Word by Word

• वीर: O hero
• वीर: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: वीर
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• विक्रान्त: valiant, mighty (having advanced/stridden forth)
• विक्रान्त: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि-क्रम् (क्त)
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• धर्मज्ञ: knower of dharma
• धर्मज्ञ: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धर्म + ज्ञ
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• सत्यसंध: true to one’s promise, of truthful resolve
• सत्यसंध: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सत्य + संध
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• महीपते: O lord of the earth (king)
• महीपते: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: महीपतिन्
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

Speaker

बृहृदश्च उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bṛhadaśva
• mahīpati (the king being addressed)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the ethical ideal of kingship: true sovereignty is grounded not merely in power, but in dharma-knowledge and unwavering commitment to truth—virtues that legitimize authority and guide just action.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bṛhadaśva addresses a king with honorific epithets—heroic, valiant, dharma-knowing, and truth-bound—setting a respectful tone before delivering counsel or continuing the story, and framing the listener as worthy of moral instruction.