Shloka 34

अध्याय ८ — शल्यस्य सत्कारः, वरदानं, पाण्डवसमागमश्च (Śalya’s Reception, the Boon, and Meeting the Pāṇḍavas)

Devanagari script

“महाराज! नरेश्वर! तुम्हें लोकतन्त्रका सम्यक्‌ ज्ञान है। तात! इसीलिये तुममें लोभजनित कोई भी बर्ताव नहीं है ।।

Transliteration

mahārāja! nareśvara! tubhyaṁ lokatantrasya samyak jñānam asti. tāta! tasmāt tvayi lobhajanitaḥ kaścid api vyavahāro nāsti. rājārṣīṇāṁ purāṇānāṁ mārgam anviccha bhārata. dāne tapasi satye ca bhava tāta yudhiṣṭhira.

Translation

वैशम्पायन बोले—महाराज, नरेश्वर! तुम्हें लोकनीति और शासन-व्यवस्था का सम्यक् ज्ञान है; इसलिए, तात, तुममें लोभ से उत्पन्न कोई आचरण नहीं है। हे भारत! प्राचीन राजर्षियों के मार्ग का अनुसरण करो। तात युधिष्ठिर! तुम सदा दान, तप और सत्य में ही रत रहो।

Word by Word

• {'mahārāja': 'great king', 'nareśvara': 'lord of men

• ruler', 'lokatantra': 'the system/order of the people

• governance', 'samyak-jñāna': 'correct and complete knowledge', 'tāta': 'dear one

• child (term of affectionate address)', 'lobha': 'greed', 'lobhajanita': 'arising from greed', 'vyavahāra': 'conduct

• behavior', 'rājārṣi': 'royal seer

• king-sage', 'purāṇa (purāṇānām)': 'ancient

• of old (here: the ancients)', 'mārga': 'path

• model of conduct', 'anviccha': 'seek

• pursue', 'bhārata': 'descendant of Bharata

• address to a Kuru prince', 'dāna': 'giving

• generosity', 'tapas': 'austerity

• ascetic restraint', 'satya': 'truth

• truthfulness', 'bhava': 'be

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Yudhiṣṭhira
• Bhārata (epithet/address)
• rājārṣis (ancient royal seers)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

A ruler should model himself on the ancient king-sages and remain free from greed, grounding governance in the triad of dāna (generosity), tapas (disciplined restraint), and satya (truth).

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana praises Yudhiṣṭhira’s understanding of polity and his lack of greed, then exhorts him to follow the exemplary conduct of earlier royal seers by steadfastly practicing charity, austerity, and truthfulness.