Shloka 8
Varṣa-Parvata-Nivāsinām Varnanam
Description of Regions, Mountains, and Their Inhabitants
कुशिकस्य च दुर्धर्ष गाधेश्वैव महात्मन: । सोमकस्य च दुर्धर्ष दिलीपस्य तथैव च,राजन! दुर्धर्ष महाराज! वेननन्दन पृथु, महात्मा इक्ष्वाकु, ययाति, अम्बरीष, मान्धाता, नहुष, मुचुकुन्द, उशीनरपुत्र शिबि, ऋषभ, इलानन्दन पुरूरवा, राजा नृग, कुशिक, महात्मा गाधि, सोमक, दिलीप तथा अन्य जो महाबली क्षत्रिय नरेश हुए हैं, उन सभीको भारतवर्ष बहुत प्रिय रहा है
kuśikasya ca durdharṣa gādheś caiva mahātmanaḥ | somakasya ca durdharṣa dilīpasya tathaiva ca ||
Sañjaya said: “O king, O mighty and unassailable one—so too were Kuśika, the great-souled Gādhi, Somaka, and likewise Dilīpa.” In context, Sañjaya is invoking a lineage of renowned kṣatriya rulers—figures celebrated for strength, endurance, and royal virtue—so that Dhṛtarāṣṭra may measure the present crisis against the standards of earlier kings and recognize the weight of dharma and responsibility that accompanies sovereignty.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the ethical burden of kingship: present rulers should remember the standards set by illustrious predecessors—strength joined with nobility (mahātman) and steadfastness (durdharṣa)—and act in ways worthy of that lineage.
Sañjaya, speaking to King Dhṛtarāṣṭra, lists famed ancient kings (Kuśika, Gādhi, Somaka, Dilīpa) as exemplars, framing the unfolding Kurukṣetra events against a broader memory of royal history and reputation.