Shloka 6

Vidura’s Message to Dhṛtarāṣṭra: Authorization for Dāna and Public Welfare (विदुरवाक्यम्—दानानुज्ञा)

Devanagari script

नारद उवाच केकयाधिपति: श्रीमान्‌ राजा55सीदकुतो भय: । सहस्नचित्य इत्युक्त: शतयूपपितामह:

Transliteration

nārada uvāca kekayādhipatiḥ śrīmān rājā sahasracitya ity uktaḥ kuto bhayaḥ | śatayūpapitāmahaḥ ||

Translation

ନାରଦ କହିଲେ—ରାଜନ! ପୂର୍ବକାଳରେ କେକୟଦେଶର ଅଧିପତି ‘ସହସ୍ରଚିତ୍ୟ’ ନାମରେ ପ୍ରସିଦ୍ଧ ଏକ ତେଜସ୍ବୀ ରାଜା ଥିଲେ; ତାଙ୍କୁ କେବେ କାହାରୁ ଭୟ ହୁଏନି। ଏଠାରେ ଯେ ରାଜର୍ଷି ଶତୟୂପ ବସିଛନ୍ତି, ସେହି ସହସ୍ରଚିତ୍ୟ ତାଙ୍କର ପିତାମହ ଥିଲେ।

Word by Word

• नारदः: Narada
• नारदः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: नारद
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• उवाच: said/spoke
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: Perfect (Paroksha-bhuta), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• केकयाधिपतिः: the lord/king of Kekaya
• केकयाधिपतिः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: केकय-अधिपति
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• श्रीमान्: prosperous, illustrious
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्रीमत्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

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

• असीत्: was
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस्
• Form: Imperfect (Lan), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• कुतः: whence? how (could there be)?
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कुतः

• भयः: fear
• भयः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: भय
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• सहस्नचित्यः: Sahasnacitya (proper name)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सहस्नचित्य
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• इति: thus, as
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति

• उक्तः: called, said (to be)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• शतयूपपितामहः: the grandfather of Shatayupa
• Type: Noun
• Root: शतयूप-पितामह
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

नारद उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Nārada
• Sahasracitya
• Śatayūpa
• Kekaya (Kekaya-deśa)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights an ideal of kṣatriya-kingship: a ruler grounded in dharma and strength is portrayed as ‘fearless’, and noble lineage is invoked to frame present characters within a tradition of virtue and merit.

What is happening in the narrative?

Nārada introduces a past exemplar-king, Sahasracitya of Kekaya, and identifies him as the grandfather of the royal sage Śatayūpa, thereby linking the current discussion to an ancestral model of righteous rule.