Shloka 12

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

Vaiśampāyana berkata: Baginda memerintah, menurut tertib dan aturan yang wajar, sungai-sungai dan lautan, anak-anak sungai serta tasik-tasik juga—sebagaimana Śatakratu (Indra) melindungi dan menegakkan para dewa. Ayat ini menegaskan raja sebagai penjaga yang berdisiplin: memelihara tertib alam dan masyarakat melalui perlindungan yang sah dan terukur, bukan kuasa sewenang-wenangnya.

Word by Word

सरितःrivers

सागरान्oceans/seas

चand

एवindeed/also

नदान्rivers/streams

चand

अपिalso/even

सरांसिlakes/ponds

चand

पालयामासprotected/ruled

विधिनाby proper rule/according to ordinance

यथाas/just as

देवान्the gods

शतक्रतुःIndra (the performer of a hundred sacrifices)

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Śatakratu (Indra)

rivers (saritaḥ/nadāḥ)

oceans/seas (sāgarāḥ)

lakes/ponds (sarāṁsi)

the gods (devāḥ)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

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.