Shloka 38

Ādi Parva, Adhyāya 113 — Maryādā-sthāpana (Śvetaketu’s Boundary) and the Niyoga Deliberation of Pāṇḍu and Kuntī

Devanagari script

ये पुरा कुरुराष्ट्राणि जहुः कुरुधनानि च । ते नागपुरसिंहेन पाण्डुना करदीकृता:,जिन राजाओंने पहले कुरुदेशके धन तथा कुरुराष्ट्रका अपहरण किया था, उनको हस्तिनापुरके सिंह पाण्डुने करद बना दिया

Transliteration

ye purā kururāṣṭrāṇi jahuḥ kurudhanāni ca | te nāgapurasiṁhena pāṇḍunā karadīkṛtāḥ ||

Translation

Вайшампаяна сказал: Тех царей, которые в прежние времена захватывали земли Куру и уносили богатства куру, Панду — лев Нагапуры (Хастинапуры) — обратил в данников. Так, восстановив суверенитет Куру и заставив захватчиков отвечать за содеянное, он вновь утвердил политический порядок силой законной царской власти.

Word by Word

येwho (those who)

पुराformerly, earlier

कुरुराष्ट्राणिthe Kuru kingdoms/realm(s)

जहुःtook away, abandoned, carried off

कुरुधनानिthe wealth of the Kurus

चand

तेthose (men/kings)

नागपुरसिंहेनby the lion of Nāgapura (Hastināpura)

पाण्डुनाby Pāṇḍu

करदीकृताःmade tributary, reduced to paying tribute

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Pāṇḍu

Kuru-rāṣṭra (Kuru realm)

Kuru-dhana (Kuru wealth)

Nāgapura (Hastināpura)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights rājadharma: a righteous king restores order by curbing aggressors and reasserting lawful sovereignty, not merely through conquest but by making wrongdoing accountable (here, through tribute).

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana describes Pāṇḍu’s political-military success: kings who had earlier usurped Kuru lands and wealth were subdued and compelled to pay tribute to Hastināpura under Pāṇḍu’s authority.