Mahabharata 9.47.12 — Shalya Parva, Adhyaya 47, Shloka 12

बदरपाचन-तीर्थमाहात्म्यम् | Badarapācana Tīrtha Māhātmya

Indratīrtha and the Austerities of Srucāvatī & Arundhatī

Devanagari script

सरित: सागरांश्षैव नदांक्षापि सरांसि च । पालयामास विधिना यथा देवान्‌ शतक्रतु:

Transliteration

saritaḥ sāgarāṁś caiva nadāṁś cāpi sarāṁsi ca | pālayāmāsa vidhinā yathā devān śatakratuḥ ||

Translation

അവൻ വിധിപ്രകാരം നദികളും സമുദ്രങ്ങളും, ഒഴുക്കുകളും തടാകങ്ങളും സംരക്ഷിച്ചു ഭരിച്ചു—ശതക്രതു ഇന്ദ്രൻ ദേവന്മാരെ കാക്കുന്നതുപോലെ॥

Word by Word

• सरितः: rivers
• सरितः: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: सरित्
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Plural

• सागरान्: oceans/seas
• सागरान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: सागर
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

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

• एव: indeed/also
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

• नदान्: rivers/streams
• नदान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: नद
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

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

• अपि: also/even
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि

• सरांसि: lakes/ponds
• सरांसि: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: सरस्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Plural

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

• पालयामास: protected/ruled
• Type: Verb
• Root: पाल्
• Form: Perfect (Liṭ), Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

• विधिना: by proper rule/according to ordinance
• विधिना: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: विधि
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• यथा: as/just as
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा

• देवान्: the gods
• देवान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• शतक्रतुः: Indra (the performer of a hundred sacrifices)
• शतक्रतुः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: शतक्रतु
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Śatakratu (Indra)
• rivers (saritaḥ/nadāḥ)
• oceans/seas (sāgarāḥ)
• lakes/ponds (sarāṁsi)
• the gods (devāḥ)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse presents an ideal of dharmic rule: a ruler’s duty is to protect and regulate the realm ‘by proper rule’ (vidhinā), sustaining order as Indra sustains the gods—power expressed as disciplined guardianship and stewardship.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana describes a figure’s orderly governance, using a cosmic simile: just as Indra (Śatakratu) safeguards the gods, so this ruler maintained and protected the waters—rivers, seas, and lakes—signaling stable administration and adherence to rightful procedure.