Mahabharata 1.49.7 — Adi Parva, Adhyaya 49, Shloka 7

Āstīka’s Commission and Approach to Janamejaya’s Sarpa-satra (आस्तीक-प्रेषणं यज्ञप्रवेशोपक्रमश्च)

Devanagari script

धर्मात्मा च महात्मा च प्रजापाल: पिता तव | आसीदिह यथावृत्त: स महात्मा शृणुष्व तत्‌

Transliteration

janamejaya uvāca | dharmātmā ca mahātmā ca prajā-pālaḥ pitā tava | āsīd iha yathāvṛttaḥ sa mahātmā śṛṇuṣva tat ||

Translation

大臣たちは言った。「王よ、そなたの父君はダルマにかなう心を備え、まことに大いなる魂をもち、民を守護する者であった。いま聞くがよい——その高貴なる王がこの世にあって、いかに正しき作法に従い身を処したかを。」

Word by Word

• धर्मात्मा: righteous-souled
• धर्मात्मा: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्मात्मन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• महात्मा: great-souled
• महात्मा: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: महात्मन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• प्रजापालः: protector of the subjects
• प्रजापालः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रजापाल
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• पिता: father
• पिता: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• तव: of you/your
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: युष्मद्
• Form: —, Genitive, Singular

• आसीत्: was
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस्
• Form: Imperfect, 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• इह: here (in this world)
• इह: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इह

• यथावृत्तः: as was his conduct/according to what occurred
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यथावृत्त
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• सः: he/that (man)
• सः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• महात्मा: that great-souled one
• महात्मा: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: महात्मन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• शृणुष्व: listen
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु
• Form: Imperative, 2nd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• तत्: that (account/thing)
• तत्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• महाराज: O great king
• Type: Noun
• Root: महाराज
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

Speaker

जनमेजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Janamejaya
• the king addressed (Mahārāja)
• the addressed king's father (unnamed in this verse)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse praises the ideal of kingship rooted in dharma: a ruler should be noble in character (dharmātmā, mahātmā) and actively protect and sustain the people (prajā-pālaḥ). Ethical governance is presented as personal virtue expressed through public responsibility.

What is happening in the narrative?

Janamejaya addresses a king and introduces an account of that king’s father, emphasizing his righteousness and role as a protector of subjects. The verse functions as a transition into a fuller narration of the father’s life and conduct.