Shloka 56

नलस्य बाहुकत्वेन ऋतुपर्णनगरप्रवेशः

Nala as Bāhuka enters Ṛtuparṇa’s city

Devanagari script

वीर विक्रान्त धर्मज्ञ सत्यसंध महीपते

Transliteration

vīra vikrānta dharmajña satyasaṃdha mahīpate

Translation

おお、勇士なる王よ、武勇にすぐれ、ダルマに通じ、真実に堅く立つ者よ——大地の支配者よ。

Word by Word

• वीर: O hero
• वीर: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: वीर
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• विक्रान्त: valiant, mighty (having advanced/stridden forth)
• विक्रान्त: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि-क्रम् (क्त)
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• धर्मज्ञ: knower of dharma
• धर्मज्ञ: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धर्म + ज्ञ
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• सत्यसंध: true to one’s promise, of truthful resolve
• सत्यसंध: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सत्य + संध
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• महीपते: O lord of the earth (king)
• महीपते: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: महीपतिन्
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

Speaker

बृहृदश्च उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bṛhadaśva
• mahīpati (the king being addressed)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the ethical ideal of kingship: true sovereignty is grounded not merely in power, but in dharma-knowledge and unwavering commitment to truth—virtues that legitimize authority and guide just action.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bṛhadaśva addresses a king with honorific epithets—heroic, valiant, dharma-knowing, and truth-bound—setting a respectful tone before delivering counsel or continuing the story, and framing the listener as worthy of moral instruction.