Shloka 35

अध्याय ९ — धृतराष्ट्रस्य युधिष्ठिरं प्रति राजनित्युपदेशः

Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Counsel on Royal Policy to Yudhiṣṭhira

Devanagari script

यद्‌ विशस्ता: कुरुश्रेष्ठ राजानश्न॒ सहस्रश:

Transliteration

yad viśastāḥ kuruśreṣṭha rājānaḥ sahasraśaḥ

Translation

おお、クル族の最勝者よ。名高く称えられたあの王たちは、幾千とも知れぬ数でそこに集っていた。物語は、名声と世の権勢を誇った支配者たちの大集会を想起させつつも、それらがなお時の流れと義務（ダルマ）、そして己が行いの道徳的帰結に従属することを語る。

Word by Word

• यत्: which/that (thing)
• यत्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद्
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• विशस्ताः: praised, renowned
• विशस्ताः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि-शंस् (PPP: विशस्त)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• कुरुश्रेष्ठ: O best of the Kurus
• Type: Noun (vocative epithet)
• Root: कुरु + श्रेष्ठ
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• राजानः: kings
• राजानः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• सहस्रशः: by thousands; in thousands
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सहस्रशस्

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Kuru (dynasty/lineage)
• kings (rājānaḥ)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse underscores the scale of worldly power and fame—kings in their thousands—while implicitly pointing to the Mahābhārata’s ethical reminder that renown and sovereignty are transient and must be governed by dharma, since actions and their results outlast status.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana addresses a Kuru descendant as he continues describing a large gathering or enumeration of rulers: many celebrated kings are being recalled as part of the unfolding account in Āśramavāsika Parva.