Mahabharata — Ashvamedhika Parva, Shloka 14

Adhyāya 62: Marutta’s Treasure and the Pāṇḍavas’ Auspicious Departure (मरुत्तस्य धनप्राप्त्युपक्रमः)

Devanagari script

पौत्रस्तव महाभागो जनिष्यति महामना: । पृथ्वीं सागरपर्यन्तां पालयिष्यति धर्मत:

Transliteration

pautras tava mahābhāgo janiṣyati mahāmanāḥ | pṛthvīṃ sāgaraparyantāṃ pālayiṣyati dharmataḥ |

Translation

हे कुरुश्रेष्ठ! तुम्हारा एक महाभाग्यशाली, महामनस्वी पौत्र उत्पन्न होगा, जो धर्मपूर्वक समुद्र-पर्यन्त समस्त पृथ्वी का पालन करेगा। इसलिए, हे शत्रुसूदन, शोक त्याग दो; इसमें विचार की आवश्यकता नहीं—मेरा वचन सत्य सिद्ध होगा।

Word by Word

• {'pautraḥ': 'grandson', 'tava': 'of you, your', 'mahābhāgaḥ': 'highly fortunate

• greatly blessed', 'janiṣyati': 'will be born

• will come into being', 'mahāmanāḥ': 'great-minded

• noble-souled', 'pṛthvīm': 'the earth', 'sāgara-paryantām': 'bounded by the ocean

• extending to the sea', 'pālayiṣyati': 'will protect

• will govern', 'dharmataḥ': 'according to dharma

• righteously', 'kuru-śreṣṭha': 'best among the Kurus (honorific address)', 'śatru-sūdana': 'slayer of enemies (honorific address)'}

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Kuru lineage (Kuru-śreṣṭha)
• the future grandson (pautraḥ)
• Pṛthvī (the earth)
• Sāgara (the ocean/sea)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse affirms confidence in dharma and the continuity of righteous governance: even after devastation and grief, a future heir will arise who will protect the world according to dharma, so despair should be relinquished.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana delivers a consoling prophecy to a Kuru elder/hero, declaring that a blessed grandson will be born and will rule the entire earth righteously, thereby urging the listener to abandon sorrow and doubt.