Mahabharata 1.175.20 — Adi Parva, Adhyaya 175, Shloka 20

पाण्डवानां पाञ्चालगमनम्

The Pāṇḍavas’ Journey toward Pāñcāla and News of the Svayaṃvara

Devanagari script

वसिष्ठ उवाच बलस्थश्वासि राजा च बाहुवीर्यश्न क्षत्रिय:

Transliteration

Vasiṣṭha uvāca: balasthaś cāsi rājā ca bāhuvīryaś ca kṣatriyaḥ.

Translation

Vasiṣṭha berkata: “Engkau teguh dalam kekuatan; engkau seorang raja; dan engkau seorang Kṣatriya yang dianugerahi kedahsyatan lenganmu.”

Word by Word

• वसिष्ठः: Vasiṣṭha (the sage)
• वसिष्ठः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: वसिष्ठ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• उवाच: said/spoke
• उवाच: Kriya
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: Perfect, Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

• बलस्थः: standing firm in strength / strong
• बलस्थः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बलस्थ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• असि: you are
• असि: Kriya
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस्
• Form: Present, Second, Singular

• राजा: king
• राजा: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• बाहुवीर्यश्च: having strength in the arms / mighty-armed
• बाहुवीर्यश्च: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बाहुवीर्य
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• क्षत्रियः: a Kṣatriya (warrior-noble)
• क्षत्रियः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षत्रिय
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

वसिष्ठ उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vasiṣṭha
• rājā (a king, addressed)
• kṣatriya (warrior-ruler class)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Vasiṣṭha frames the listener’s identity—strong, kingly, and Kṣatriya—as a moral reminder: power and status imply responsibility to uphold Kṣatriya-dharma (protection, courage, and righteous governance).

What is happening in the narrative?

Vasiṣṭha addresses a king directly, emphasizing his strength and warrior nature, typically as a preface to counsel—either urging steadfastness in duty or correcting conduct by recalling the obligations of kingship.