Shloka 109

कृतयुगवर्णनम् तथा राजधर्मोपदेशः

Kṛtayuga Description and Instruction on Royal Dharma

Devanagari script

पश्यामि च महीं राजन्‌ काननैरुपशोभिताम्‌ । (सपर्वतवनद्वीपां निमग्नाशतसड्कुलाम्‌ ।) यजन्ते हि तदा राजन्‌ ब्राह्मणा बहुभिर्मखै:

Transliteration

vaiśampāyana uvāca | paśyāmi ca mahīṁ rājan kānanair upaśobhitām | sa-parvata-vana-dvīpāṁ nimagnā-śata-saṅkulām | yajante hi tadā rājan brāhmaṇā bahubhir makhaiḥ |

Translation

ରାଜନ! ମୁଁ ସେଇ ଭୂମିକୁ ମଧ୍ୟ ଦେଖିଲି—ବହୁ କାନନରେ ଶୋଭିତ, ପର୍ବତ-ବନ-ଦ୍ୱୀପରେ ଚିହ୍ନିତ, ଏବଂ ଶତଶଃ ସରିତା-ପ୍ରବାହରେ ପରିପୂର୍ଣ୍ଣ। ସେ ସମୟରେ, ରାଜନ, ବ୍ରାହ୍ମଣମାନେ ଅନେକ ମଖ ଦ୍ୱାରା ଯଜ୍ଞପୁରୁଷ ଦେବଙ୍କୁ ସମ୍ୟକ୍ ଆରାଧନା କରୁଥିଲେ।

Word by Word

• पश्यामि: I see
• पश्यामि: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: पश्
• Form: लट्, परस्मैपद, उत्तम, एकवचन

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• महीं: the earth/land
• महीं: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: मही
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• राजन्: O king
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन्
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन

• काननैः: by forests
• काननैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: कानन
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन

• उपशोभिताम्: adorned/beautified
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उप-शोभित
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• सपर्वतवनद्वीपाम्: having mountains, forests, and islands
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर्वत-वन-द्वीप
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• निमग्न: sunk/immersed (i.e., set in/embedded)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नि-मग्न
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• शत: hundreds
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शत
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• सड्कुलाम्: crowded/filled/connected
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सङ्कुल
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• यजन्ते: they sacrifice/worship
• Type: Verb
• Root: यज्
• Form: लट्, आत्मनेपद, प्रथम, बहुवचन

• हि: indeed/for
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि

• तदा: then/at that time
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा

• राजन्: O king
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन्
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन

• ब्राह्मणाः: Brahmins
• ब्राह्मणाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• बहुभिः: with many
• बहुभिः: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बहु
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन

• मखैः: sacrifices/rites
• मखैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: मख
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• rājan (the King, i.e., Janamejaya as listener)
• mahī (the land/earth)
• brāhmaṇas
• makha (sacrificial rites)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse links a flourishing, well-ordered land with the sustained practice of dharma—here expressed through yajña performed by brāhmaṇas. Ethical order and prosperity are portrayed as mutually reinforcing: when sacred duties are upheld, the world appears abundant, beautiful, and stable.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana describes to the king a vision/description of a region of the earth: richly forested, defined by mountains and islands, and filled with many rivers. He adds that at that time brāhmaṇas were actively conducting many sacrificial rites, indicating a period of ritual vitality and social-religious harmony.