Shloka 24
आदि पर्व, अध्याय 67 — गान्धर्वविवाह-समयः
Duḥṣanta–Śakuntalā: Gandharva Marriage and Succession Condition
सुबाहुरिति विख्यात: श्रीमानासीत् स पार्थिव: । अहरस्तु महातेजा: शत्रुपक्षक्षयंकर:
vaśampāyana uvāca |
subāhur iti vikhyātaḥ śrīmān āsīt sa pārthivaḥ |
aharas tu mahātejāḥ śatrupakṣakṣayaṅkaraḥ ||
Waiśampāyana berkata: “Ada seorang raja yang makmur, termasyhur dengan nama Subāhu. Dan ada pula Ahar, seorang yang bercahaya agung, penghancur barisan musuh.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse participates in a larger pattern where immense power is traced to prior cosmic lineages; it implicitly warns that royal might can be fearsome and ethically charged—capable of protecting order or devastating opponents—so power must be understood within dharma.
Vaiśampāyana continues a catalog of notable rulers, naming Subāhu as an illustrious king and Ahar as a highly radiant destroyer of enemy forces, within the chapter’s broader account of powerful beings manifesting as human kings.