Shloka 473
प्रजापति सार्वभौम॑ कीर्तयेद् वसुधाधिपम् । इनका नाम लेनेवाले मनुष्यके धर्म
bhīṣma uvāca | prajāpatiṃ sārvabhaumaṃ kīrtayed vasudhādhipam | tasya nāma-grahaṇāt puṃsāṃ dharma-artha-kāma-siddhir bhavati | venakumāraṃ nṛpaśreṣṭhaṃ pṛthuṃ kīrtayitavyaṃ yasya iyaṃ pṛthivī putrībhūtā prajāpatiś ca sārvabhauma-samrāṭ ca |
Bhishma disse: “Deve-se celebrar e recitar o louvor daquele soberano senhor da terra, que também foi um Prajapati. Ao tomar o seu nome, os homens alcançam êxito no dharma, no artha (prosperidade) e no kama (gozo legítimo). Por isso, deve-se exaltar Prithu, o melhor dos reis, filho de Vena—aquele para quem esta própria Terra se tornou como uma filha, e que se ergueu como Prajapati e imperador universal.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhishma teaches that remembering and praising an exemplary, dharma-rooted sovereign—Prithu—brings integrated human flourishing: moral excellence (dharma), material stability (artha), and rightful enjoyment (kama). The verse links ethical kingship with spiritual merit through name-recitation and celebration of virtuous fame.
In Bhishma’s instruction to Yudhishthira within the Anushasana Parva, he recommends the kirtana (praise/recitation) of King Prithu, son of Vena, describing him as a universal emperor and Prajapati, and noting the mythic motif that Earth became as his daughter—signifying his protective, nurturing rule over the world.