Shloka 45

आदि पर्व, अध्याय 96 — काश्यकन्याहरणं, शाल्वसमागमः, अम्बावचनं च

Kāśī princesses taken; encounter with Śālva; Ambā’s declaration

Devanagari script

देवापि: खलु बाल एवारण्यं विवेश । शान्तनुस्तु महीपालो बभूव,देवापि बाल्यावस्थामें ही वनको चले गये, अत: शान्तनु राजा हुए

Transliteration

Devāpiḥ khalu bāla evāraṇyaṃ viveśa | Śāntanus tu mahīpālo babhūva |

Translation

Vaiśampāyana dit : Devāpi, alors qu’il n’était encore qu’un enfant, entra dans la forêt et se retira de la vie du monde. C’est pourquoi Śāntanu devint le roi protecteur de la terre. Le passage montre comment le renoncement ou l’abandon du devoir royal peut faire passer le fardeau de la royauté à un autre, et souligne la nécessité éthique d’une succession stable pour le bien du royaume.

Word by Word

देवापिःDevāpi (proper name)

खलुindeed, surely

बालःa boy; young

एवjust, only

अरण्यम्forest

विवेशentered

शान्तनुःŚāntanu (proper name)

तुbut, however

महीपालःking (protector of the earth)

बभूवbecame

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Devāpi

Śāntanu

Araṇya (forest)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the dharmic importance of continuity in governance: when an heir withdraws from worldly responsibility (here, Devāpi entering the forest), another must assume kingship (Śāntanu) to protect the people and uphold order.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana reports that Devāpi, still young, went into the forest; as a result, Śāntanu became the reigning king, indicating a transfer of royal responsibility within the Kuru line.