Shloka 6

राजसूयविचारः — Deliberation on the Rajasuya and the Summoning of Kṛṣṇa

Devanagari script

एक एव तु राजर्षिहिरिश्वन्द्रो महामुने । कथितस्ते सभायां वै देवेन्द्रस्य महात्मन:,महामुने! महात्मा देवराज इन्द्रकी सभामें आपने राजर्षियोंमेंसे एकमात्र हरिश्वन्द्रका ही नाम लिया है

Transliteration

eka eva tu rājarṣir hariścandro mahāmune | kathitas te sabhāyāṃ vai devendrasya mahātmanaḥ ||

Translation

युधिष्ठिर म्हणाला—महामुने! महात्मा देवेंद्र (इंद्र) यांच्या सभेचे वर्णन करताना आपण राजर्षींमध्ये केवळ एकाच—हरिश्चंद्राचा—उल्लेख केला. राजर्षींमध्ये त्याचेच एकट्याचे नाव का घेतले?

Word by Word

एकःone (only)

एवindeed/only

तुbut/however

राजर्षिःroyal sage

हरिश्चन्द्रःHarishchandra

महामुनेO great sage

कथितःtold/mentioned

तेto you

सभायाम्in the assembly

वैindeed/surely

देवेन्द्रस्यof Devendra (Indra)

महात्मनःof the great-souled one

Speaker

युधिछ्िर उवाच

Characters & Entities

Yudhiṣṭhira

Hariścandra

Indra (Devendra)

Indra's sabhā (assembly hall)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the Mahābhārata’s ethical interest in exemplary figures: a single king, Hariścandra, is singled out among royal sages, prompting reflection on why truthfulness, integrity, and dharmic steadfastness make a life worthy of special remembrance.

What is happening in the narrative?

Yudhiṣṭhira addresses a sage and questions his earlier description of Indra’s celestial assembly: among the rājarṣis, only Hariścandra was explicitly named, and Yudhiṣṭhira asks the reason for this singular mention.