Shloka 4
Samrāt-Lakṣaṇa and the Counsel to Check Jarāsandha (सम्राट्-लक्षणं जरासन्ध-प्रतिबाधा-परामर्शः)
ऐलस्येक्ष्वाकुवंशस्य प्रकृतिं परिचक्षते | राजान: श्रेणिबद्धाश्व तथान्ये क्षत्रिया भुवि
Ailasyekṣvākavaṁśasya prakṛtiṁ paricakṣate | rājānaḥ śreṇibaddhāś ca tathānye kṣatriyā bhuvi ||
Kṛṣṇa dit : «En ce monde, les rois—rangés en files ordonnées—et les autres kṣatriya de la terre aussi, se plaisent à dire que leur lignée appartient aux maisons d’Aila (Purūravas) et d’Ikṣvāku. Ainsi, les revendications d’illustre ascendance sont répandues parmi les souverains, comme signe social de légitimité et de rang.»
श्रीकृष्ण उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how rulers often ground their authority in prestigious ancestry—especially the famed Aila (Purūravas) and Ikṣvāku lines—showing that dynastic claims function as a conventional basis for social legitimacy, though true worth ultimately depends on conduct and dharma.
Kṛṣṇa is speaking about the broader political world: many kings and warrior-rulers, standing in organized ranks, identify themselves as descendants of celebrated royal dynasties, emphasizing the importance of lineage in royal self-presentation.