Shloka 9

Kuru's Consecration — Kuru’s Consecration and the Sanctification of Samantapañcaka (Kurukshetra)

Devanagari script

स एव क्षेत्रपालो ऽभूत् पशुपालः स एव हि स सर्वपालकश्चासीत् प्रजापालो महाबलः

Transliteration

sa eva kṣetrapālo 'bhūt paśupālaḥ sa eva hi sa sarvapālakaścāsīt prajāpālo mahābalaḥ

Translation

Dialah semata-mata pelindung wilayah; dialah juga penjaga ternakan. Dia menjadi pemelihara segala-galanya, pelindung rakyat, berdaya kekuatan besar.

Word by Word

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Pronoun (सर्वनाम), Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• eva: indeed/only
• eva: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya, emphatic particle (अवधारण-निपात)

• kṣetra-pālaḥ: protector of the fields
• kṣetra-pālaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṣetra (प्रातिपदिक) + pāla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular; Tatpuruṣa (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: kṣetrasya pālaḥ)

• abhūt: became/was
• abhūt: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √bhū (धातु)
• Form: Imperfect (लङ्), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद), 3rd person, Singular

• paśu-pālaḥ: protector of cattle
• paśu-pālaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: paśu (प्रातिपदिक) + pāla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular; Tatpuruṣa (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: paśūnām pālaḥ)

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Pronoun, Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• eva: indeed
• eva: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya, emphatic particle

• hi: for/indeed
• hi: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya, particle (निपात), causal/emphatic

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Pronoun, Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• sarva-pālakaḥ: protector of all
• sarva-pālakaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक) + pālaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular; Karmadhāraya (sarvaḥ pālakaḥ)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya, conjunction

• āsīt: was
• āsīt: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √as (धातु)
• Form: Imperfect (लङ्), Parasmaipada, 3rd person, Singular

• prajā-pālaḥ: protector of the subjects
• prajā-pālaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prajā (प्रातिपदिक) + pāla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular; Tatpuruṣa (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: prajānām pālaḥ)

• mahā-balaḥ: mighty/very strong
• mahā-balaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahā (प्रातिपदिक) + bala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular; adjective qualifying 'prajāpālaḥ'; Karmadhāraya (mahac ca balaṃ yasya/mahābalaḥ)

Speakers

• Likely Pulastya to Nārada (standard frame)
• but not explicit in provided verses

Key Themes

• Rajadharma
• Protection of land and cattle
• Welfare-state ideal in Purāṇic polity
• Strength in service of dharma

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

{ "primaryRasa": "vira", "secondaryRasa": "shanta", "rasaIntensity": 0, "emotionalArcPosition": "", "moodDescriptors": [] }

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

A ruler’s greatness is measured by comprehensive protection—land, livestock, and people. Strength (bala) is ethically framed as the capacity to safeguard, not dominate.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana?

Vamśānucarita: it characterizes the ruler’s dharmic functions within the dynastic narrative.

What is the symbolic significance?

The layered titles (kṣetrapāla/paśupāla/sarvapālaka/prajāpāla) present kingship as concentric circles of care—from territory to living beings to the whole polity—echoing Purāṇic ‘maintenance’ (sthiti) as a sacred duty.