Shloka 13
Tapovana-praveśaḥ — The King’s Entry into the Sacred Grove and Vision of the Āśrama
अथेमां सागरापाडज़ीं गां गजेन्द्रगताखिलाम् । अध्यतिष्ठत् पुन: क्षत्रं सशैलवनपत्तनाम्,गजराजके समान गमन करनेवाले राजा जनमेजय! तदनन्तर धीरे-धीरे समुद्रसे घिरी हुई पर्वत, वन और नगरोंसहित इस सम्पूर्ण पृथ्वीपर पुन: क्षत्रियजातिका ही अधिकार हो गया
atha imāṃ sāgarāparyantāṃ gāṃ gajendragatākhilām | adhyatiṣṭhat punaḥ kṣatraṃ saśailavanapattanām ||
Vaiśampāyana said: Thereafter, O King Janamejaya—whose progress is like that of the lord of elephants—the Kṣatriya order once again established its rule over this entire earth, bounded by the ocean and furnished with mountains, forests, and cities. The narrative underscores the restoration of royal authority and social order through rightful governance, implying that political power is ethically meaningful when it stabilizes the world and protects its inhabitants.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical ideal that legitimate royal power (kṣatra) is meant to restore and maintain order—protecting the world and its settled life (cities, forests, mountains) through stable governance aligned with dharma.
After prior disruption, the narrative states that Kṣatriya authority is re-established over the whole earth, described as ocean-bounded and complete with its natural and human domains; the address to Janamejaya emphasizes the grandeur and steadiness of royal movement and rule.