Shloka 23

Devanagari script

अष्टाशीतिसहस््राणि स्नातकानां महात्मनाम्‌ । उपजीवन्ति राजानमेनं सुचरितव्रतम्‌

Transliteration

aṣṭāśītisahasrāṇi snātakānāṁ mahātmanām | upajīvanti rājānam enaṁ sucaritavratam ||

Translation

Arjuna dit : «Quatre-vingt-huit mille snātakas au grand cœur (des maîtres de maison instruits ayant achevé leurs études védiques) vivent du soutien de ce roi, ferme dans des vœux bien conduits.»

Word by Word

• अष्टाशीतिसहस्राणि: eighty-eight thousand (persons)
• अष्टाशीतिसहस्राणि: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अष्टाशीतिसहस्र
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Plural

• स्नातकानाम्: of the स्नातक-s (learned graduates)
• स्नातकानाम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्नातक
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• महात्मनाम्: of the great-souled
• महात्मनाम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: महात्मन्
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• उपजीवन्ति: live by / subsist on
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप-जीव्
• Form: Present, Third, Plural, Parasmaipada

• राजानम्: the king
• राजानम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• एनम्: this (him)
• एनम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: एतद्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• सुचरितव्रतम्: whose vow/conduct is well-practised; of excellent observance
• सुचरितव्रतम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुचरितव्रत
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

अर्जुन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Arjuna
• the king (unnamed in this verse)
• snātakas

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

A righteous king is measured by disciplined conduct (vrata) and by sustaining the learned and virtuous; supporting Veda-trained people is presented as a concrete expression of royal dharma.

What is happening in the narrative?

Arjuna is describing the king’s stature and merit by citing the large number of snātakas who are maintained through the king’s patronage, implying prosperity, generosity, and adherence to proper vows.