Shloka 3

Kurukṣetra–Samantapañcaka Māhātmya: King Kuru’s Ploughing and Indra’s Boon (प्रजापतेरुत्तरवेदिः समन्तपञ्चकं)

Devanagari script

वैशम्पायन उवाच ऋषिरासीन्महावीर्य: कुणिर्ग्गों महायशा: । स तप्त्वा विपुलं राज॑ंस्तपो वै तपतां वरः

Transliteration

vaiśampāyana uvāca: ṛṣir āsīn mahāvīryaḥ kuṇir ggoṃ mahāyaśāḥ | sa taptvā vipulaṃ rājan tapaḥ vai tapatāṃ varaḥ ||

Translation

ໄວສຳປາຍະນະ ກ່າວວ່າ: «ໃນການກ່ອນ ມີລະສີຜູ້ມີລິດອັນໃຫຍ່ ຊື່ ກຸນິ (Kuṇi) ມີຊື່ສຽງກ້ອງໄກ. ໂອ ພຣະຣາຊາ, ຜູ້ເປັນເລີດໃນຫມູ່ນັກຕະປັດ, ທ່ານໄດ້ປະກອບຕະປັດອັນໃຫຍ່ຫຼວງ ແລະສຳເລັດມັນຢ່າງສົມບູນ.»

Word by Word

वैशम्पायनःVaiśampāyana

उवाचsaid

ऋषिःa sage

आसीत्was

महावीर्यःof great prowess

कुणिःKuṇi (proper name)

गोःof a cow / of cattle

महायशाःof great fame

सःhe

तप्त्वाhaving performed (austerity)

विपुलम्abundant, great

राजन्O king

तपःausterity, penance

वैindeed

तपताम्of those performing austerity

वरःthe best

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Kuṇi (ṛṣi)

rājan (the king being addressed)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse foregrounds tapas (disciplined austerity) as a source of true potency and moral authority: greatness and fame are linked to self-restraint and sustained spiritual effort, not merely to worldly power.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana introduces a revered sage named Kuṇi, describing him as famous and powerful, and notes that he performed extensive austerities—setting up a backstory or exemplum that will ground the subsequent events or instruction.