Shloka 35

कृतयुगवर्णनम् तथा राजधर्मोपदेशः

Kṛtayuga Description and Instruction on Royal Dharma

Devanagari script

मृषानुशासिन: पापा मृषावादपरायणा: । आन्ध्रा: शका: पुलिन्दाश्न यवनाश्न नराधिपा:,छलसे शासन करनेवाले, पापी और असत्यवादी आन्ध्र, शक, पुलिन्द, यवन, काम्बोज, बाह्लीक तथा शौर्यसम्पन्न आभीर इस देशके राजा होंगे। नरश्रेष्ठी उस समय कोई ब्राह्मण अपने धर्मके अनुसार जीविका चलानेवाला न होगा

Transliteration

vaiśampāyana uvāca |

mṛṣānuśāsinaḥ pāpā mṛṣāvādaparāyaṇāḥ |

āndhrāḥ śakāḥ pulindāś ca yavanāś ca narādhipāḥ ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana said: “Sinful rulers will arise who govern through deceit, devoted to falsehood. The kings will be Andhras, Śakas, Pulindas, and Yavanas.”

Word by Word

मृषानुशासिनःthose who give false instructions / deceitful rulers

पापाःsinful (ones)

मृषावादपरायणाःdevoted to false speech / habitual liars

आन्ध्राःAndhras (a people)

शकाःShakas (Scythians)

पुलिन्दाःPulindas (a tribe)

यवनाःYavanas (Greeks/foreigners)

नराधिपाःkings / rulers of men

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Andhras

Śakas

Pulindas

Yavanas

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse condemns rulers who abandon satya (truth) and dharma, warning that governance rooted in deceit and habitual lying is a mark of moral and social decline.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana continues a prophetic description of deteriorating times, stating that various groups will become kings and that many rulers will be characterized by deceptive rule and devotion to falsehood.