Shloka 176

Ādi-parva Adhyāya 3 — Janamejaya’s Rite, Dhaumya’s Parīkṣā, and Uttanka’s Kuṇḍala Quest (सर्पसत्रप्रस्तावना–गुरुपरीक्षा–उत्तङ्कोपाख्यान)

Devanagari script

जनमेजय उवाच आसां प्रजानां परिपालनेन स्वं क्षत्रधर्म परिपालयामि । प्रत्रुहि मे किं करणीयमद्य येनासि कार्येण समागतस्त्वम्‌,जनमेजय बोले--्रह्मन! मैं इन प्रजाओंकी रक्षाद्वारा अपने क्षत्रियरधर्मका पालन करता हूँ। बताइये, आज मेरे करनेयोग्य कौन-सा कार्य उपस्थित है? जिसके कारण आप यहाँ पधारे हैं

Transliteration

janamejaya uvāca | āsāṃ prajānāṃ paripālanena svaṃ kṣatradharmaṃ paripālayāmi | prabrūhi me kiṃ karaṇīyam adya yenāsi kāryeṇa samāgatas tvam ||

Translation

Janamejaya said: “By protecting these subjects I uphold my own duty as a kṣatriya. Tell me—what is it that I should do today? For what purpose have you come here?”

Word by Word

• {'janamejaya uvāca': 'Janamejaya said', 'āsām (prajānām)': 'of these (subjects/people)', 'prajā': 'subjects

• people under a ruler’s care', 'paripālana': 'protection

• proper governance', 'svaṃ': 'one’s own', 'kṣatradharma': 'the duty/ethos of a kṣatriya (royal responsibility: protection, justice, order)', 'paripālayāmi': 'I maintain

• I duly observe', 'prabrūhi': 'tell

• explain (imperative)', 'me': 'to me', 'kim': 'what?', 'karaṇīyam': 'what ought to be done

• duty to be performed', 'adya': 'today

• now', 'yena': 'by which

• for which reason/purpose', 'asi': 'you are', 'kāryeṇa': 'with a task

• on account of some business', 'samāgataḥ': 'arrived

• come', 'tvam': 'you'}

Speaker

जनमेजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Janamejaya

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

A ruler’s dharma is framed as active protection and care of the people; ethical kingship is not mere power but responsibility. The verse also models humility and readiness to serve a worthy visitor by asking what duty is presently required.

What is happening in the narrative?

King Janamejaya addresses a respected visitor and states that he is engaged in protecting his subjects as part of kṣatriya duty. He then asks why the visitor has come and what action the king should undertake in response.