Shloka 2

कौशिकस्य क्रोधविनिवृत्तिः — Kauśika’s Anger Checked by Householder Dharma

Devanagari script

अथाचष्ट... मार्कण्डेयो महाराज वृषदर्भसेदुकनामानौ राजानौ नीतिमार्गरतावस्त्रोपास्त्रकृतिनौ,तब मार्कण्डेयजीने कहा--“महाराज! पूर्वकालमें वृषदर्भ और सेदुक ये दो राजा थे। दोनोंही नीतिके मार्गपर चलनेवाले और अस्त्र तथा उपास्त्रोंकी विद्यामें निपुण थे

Transliteration

Vaiśampāyana uvāca: athācacakṣe Mārkaṇḍeyo mahārāja vṛṣadarbha-sedukau nāmānau rājānau nīti-mārga-ratāv astropāstra-kṛtinau.

Translation

Vaiśampāyana said: Then Mārkaṇḍeya declared, “O great king, in former times there were two kings named Vṛṣadarbha and Seduka. Both were devoted to the path of righteous policy and conduct, and were accomplished in the sciences of weapons and subsidiary martial disciplines.”

Word by Word

अथthen/now

आचष्टtells/relates

मार्कण्डेयःMarkandeya

महाराजO great king

वृषदर्भVrishadarbha

सेदुकःSeduka

नामानौnamed (the two)

राजानौtwo kings

नीतिमार्गरतौdevoted to the path of policy/righteous conduct

अस्त्रोपास्त्रकृतिनौskilled in weapons and subsidiary weapons/techniques

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Mārkaṇḍeya

Vṛṣadarbha

Seduka

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse foregrounds an ideal of kingship: rulers should be grounded in nīti (ethical governance and disciplined conduct) while also being technically competent in martial knowledge—power guided by dharma rather than mere force.

What is happening in the narrative?

Within Vaiśampāyana’s narration, the sage Mārkaṇḍeya begins recounting an older account, introducing two exemplary kings—Vṛṣadarbha and Seduka—characterized by righteous policy and mastery of weapons and related disciplines.