Shloka 3

Devanagari script

प्रशाधि पृथिवीं पार्थ ययातिरिव नाहुष:

Transliteration

vaiśampāyana uvāca | praśādhi pṛthivīṃ pārtha yayātir iva nāhuṣaḥ |

Translation

ヴァイシャンパーヤナは言った。「おおパールタよ、かつてナフシャの子ヤヤーティがそうしたように、この大地を治め、守護せよ。おおクンティーの子よ、汝の苦行の兄弟たちは森での流謫の間、甚だしい苦難に耐えた。今やその艱難の後、彼らに安楽を味わわせよ。」

Word by Word

• प्रशाधि: rule, govern
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-शास्
• Form: लोट् (imperative), 2, singular, परस्मैपद

• पृथिवीम्: the earth, kingdom
• पृथिवीम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: पृथिवी
• Form: feminine, accusative, singular

• पार्थ: O son of Pṛthā (Arjuna/Yudhiṣṭhira)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार्थ
• Form: masculine, vocative, singular

• ययातिः: Yayāti
• ययातिः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: ययाति
• Form: masculine, nominative, singular

• इव: like, as
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव

• नाहुषः: of Nahusha
• Type: Noun
• Root: नाहुष
• Form: masculine, genitive, singular

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Pārtha (Arjuna)
• Kuntī
• Yayāti
• Nahuṣa
• Pāṇḍava brothers
• Pṛthivī (the earth/kingdom)
• Vana (forest/exile setting)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse urges righteous kingship (rājadharma): rule the realm firmly and justly, taking exemplary past rulers as models, and ensure that those who have endured hardship—especially one’s own kin who practiced austerity in exile—receive protection and well-being.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana addresses Pārtha (Arjuna), exhorting him to govern the earth like King Yayāti. The statement frames the post-exile/post-suffering transition: the Pāṇḍavas, having borne severe difficulties during forest exile, should now be allowed to enjoy peace and happiness under proper rule.