Srimad Bhagavatam — Navama Skandha, Shloka 29
Pūru-vaṁśa, Duṣmanta–Śakuntalā, and the Rise of Mahārāja Bharata
भरतस्य महत् कर्म न पूर्वे नापरे नृपा: । नैवापुर्नैव प्राप्स्यन्ति बाहुभ्यां त्रिदिवं यथा ॥ २९ ॥
bharatasya mahat karma na pūrve nāpare nṛpāḥ naivāpur naiva prāpsyanti bāhubhyāṁ tridivaṁ yathā
Les grandes actions de Bharata ne furent accomplies ni par les rois d’autrefois ni par ceux de l’avenir. De même qu’on ne peut toucher les cieux par la seule force des bras, nul ne peut imiter les œuvres merveilleuses du Mahārāja Bharata.
FAQs
This verse praises Bharata’s extraordinary achievement, stating that neither previous nor future kings could match it, and that he attained heaven through his own prowess.
Śukadeva speaks to Parīkṣit Mahārāja (a king) and, by extension, to royal rulers, highlighting Bharata as an unsurpassed standard of royal might and accomplishment.
The verse emphasizes excellence and responsibility in one’s duty—striving for uncommon integrity and capability in one’s role, while remembering that true greatness is measured by exemplary action.