Shloka 6

Chapter 78: Royal Responsibility for Wealth, Social Order, and the Protection of Dvijas

Kekaya Exemplum

Devanagari script

अत्राप्युदाहरन्तीममितिहासं पुरातनम्‌ । गीत॑ कैकेयराजेन ह्वियमाणेन रक्षसा

Transliteration

atrāpy udāharantīmam itihāsaṃ purātanam | gītaṃ kaikeyarājena hriyamāṇena rakṣasā ||

Translation

Bhīṣma dit : «Ici encore, les savants invoquent un précédent ancien. C’est un récit transmis par la tradition : on y rapporte, à titre d’exemple, les paroles que prononça le roi de Kekaya tandis qu’un rākṣasa l’emportait, afin d’éclairer la question morale présente par la mémoire de l’histoire.»

Word by Word

• {'atra api': 'here also

• in this context too', 'udāharanti': 'they cite

• they adduce as an example', 'imam': 'this', 'itihāsam': 'traditional narrative

• historical legend', 'purātanam': 'ancient

• of old', 'gītam': 'sung/uttered

• spoken (as a set utterance)', 'kaikeyarājena': 'by the king of Kekaya', 'hriyamāṇena': 'being carried off

• being abducted', 'rakṣasā': 'by a rākṣasa (demon/ogre)'}

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• Kaikeyarāja (King of Kekaya)
• Rakṣasa
• Kekaya (country/kingdom)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Bhīṣma signals that dharma is clarified not only by abstract reasoning but also by time-tested precedents: an ancient itihāsa is introduced to illuminate right conduct and inner resolve when one faces danger and coercion.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhīṣma begins an illustrative tale: learned people recount an old story in which the king of Kekaya, while being abducted by a rākṣasa, speaks memorable words; the forthcoming episode is presented as an example relevant to the discussion.