Mahabharata 9.40.13 — Shalya Parva, Adhyaya 40, Shloka 13

Baka Dālbhya at Avakīrṇa-tīrtha: Rāṣṭra-kṣaya and Release through Prasāda (Śalya-parva, Adhyāya 40)

Devanagari script

स राजा कौशिकस्तात महायोग्यभवत्‌ किल । स पुत्रमभिषिच्याथ विश्वामित्रं महातपा:

Transliteration

sa rājā kauśikas tāta mahāyogī abhavat kila | sa putram abhiṣicyātha viśvāmitraṃ mahātapāḥ ||

Translation

Vaiśaṃpāyana dit : « Cher enfant, on dit en vérité que le roi Gādhi, de la lignée de Kauśika, devint un grand yogin. Ce puissant ascète, après avoir sacré son fils Viśvāmitra roi, résolut alors de renoncer à son corps. »

Word by Word

• सः: he/that (man)
• सः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• राजा: king
• राजा: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• कौशिकः: of the Kuśika lineage
• कौशिकः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कौशिक
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• तात: dear (sir)/father (voc.)
• तात: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: तात
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• महायोगी: a great yogin
• महायोगी: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: महायोगिन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• अभवत्: was/became
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू
• Form: Imperfect, 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• किल: indeed/it is said
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: किल

• सः: he
• सः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• पुत्रम्: son
• पुत्रम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुत्र
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• अभिषिच्य: having anointed/consecrated
• Type: Verb
• Root: अभि-√सिच्
• Form: Absolutive (Gerund), Active

• अथ: then
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ

• विश्वामित्रम्: Viśvāmitra
• विश्वामित्रम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: विश्वामित्र
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• महातपाः: great ascetic (of great austerity)
• महातपाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: महातपस्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• तात: dear (sir) (voc.)
• तात: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: तात
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

Speaker

वैशग्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśaṃpāyana
• Gādhi
• Kauśika lineage (Kuśika-vaṃśa)
• Viśvāmitra

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights a dharmic transition: a ruler fulfills worldly duty by ensuring orderly succession (abhiṣeka of the heir) and then turns toward spiritual discipline and renunciation, presenting kingship and asceticism as complementary stages when guided by responsibility.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśaṃpāyana narrates that King Gādhi, famed as a great yogin and ascetic, installs his son Viśvāmitra on the throne and then intends to give up his body—signaling his withdrawal from royal life after securing the kingdom’s continuity.