Shloka 4

पाण्डवानां पाञ्चालगमनम्

The Pāṇḍavas’ Journey toward Pāñcāla and News of the Svayaṃvara

Devanagari script

तस्य धर्मात्मन: पुत्र: समृद्धबलवाहन: । विश्वामित्र इति ख्यातो बभूव रिपुमर्दन:,उन्हीं धर्मात्मा नरेशके पुत्र विश्वामित्रके नामसे प्रसिद्ध हैं, जो सेना और वाहनोंसे सम्पन्न होकर शत्रुओंका मानमर्दन किया करते थे

Transliteration

tasya dharmātmanaḥ putraḥ samṛddha-balavāhanaḥ | viśvāmitra iti khyāto babhūva ripumardanaḥ ||

Translation

उस धर्मात्मा नरेश के पुत्र ‘विश्वामित्र’ नाम से प्रसिद्ध हुए। वे बल और वाहनों से समृद्ध थे तथा शत्रुओं का दमन करने वाले थे।

Word by Word

तस्यof him

धर्मात्मनःof the righteous-souled (king)

पुत्रःson

समृद्धबलवाहनःhaving abundant army and vehicles/transport

विश्वामित्रःViśvāmitra

इतिthus; as (named)

ख्यातःrenowned; known

बभूवbecame; was

रिपुमर्दनःcrusher of enemies

Speaker

गन्धर्व उवाच

Characters & Entities

Viśvāmitra

the dharmātmā king (unnamed in this verse)

enemies (ripu)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse links royal power to dharma: true renown arises when strength, resources, and martial capability are grounded in righteousness, making a ruler effective against wrongdoing without abandoning ethical duty.

What is happening in the narrative?

A Gandharva identifies the son of a previously mentioned righteous king as Viśvāmitra, describing him as well-equipped with forces and vehicles and famed as a subduer of enemies.