Shloka 14

Śānti-parva Adhyāya 30: Nārada–Parvata Samaya-bhaṅga, Śāpa, and the Marriage of Sukumārī

Devanagari script

परम सौम्यमित्युक्त ताभ्यां राजा शशास ताम्‌

Transliteration

parama saumyām ity uktaḥ tābhyāṃ rājā śaśāsa tām

Translation

Setelah disapa oleh kedua-duanya sebagai “wahai yang paling lemah lembut”, raja pun mengeluarkan perintah kepadanya—dengan kewibawaan yang terukur sebagaimana layaknya seorang pemerintah.

Word by Word

• परम्: very, exceedingly
• परम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• सौम्यम्: gentle, gracious (thing/word)
• सौम्यम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सौम्य
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• इति: thus, 'so'
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति

• उक्तम्: said, spoken
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: क्त, Passive (past participle), Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• ताभ्याम्: by those two (women)
• ताभ्याम्: Karana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Feminine, Instrumental, Dual

• राजा: the king
• राजा: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• शशास: ruled, governed, commanded
• Type: Verb
• Root: शास्
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), Parasmaipada, Third, Singular

• ताम्: her
• ताम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

श्रीकृष्ण उवाच

Characters & Entities

• rājā (the king)
• tābhyām (two persons, unnamed here)
• tām (a woman, unnamed here)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights dharmic kingship: respectful address (“most gentle”) is followed by decisive, orderly instruction. Ethical governance balances courtesy in speech with firmness in action.

What is happening in the narrative?

Two individuals address someone with a gentle honorific; in response, the king issues a command to a woman, moving the situation forward through royal directive.