Shloka 19

Śāṃtanu’s Ideal Rule; Devavrata’s Return; The Satyavatī Marriage Condition and Bhīṣma’s Vow (आदि पर्व, अध्याय ९४)

Devanagari script

दानं तपः सत्यमथापि धर्मो ह्वी: श्री: क्षमा सौम्यमथो विधित्सा । राजन्नेतान्यप्रमेयाणि राज्ञ: शिबे: स्थितान्यप्रतिमस्य बुद्धा,नरेश्वर! दान, तपस्या, सत्य, धर्म, ही, श्री, क्षमा, सौम्यभाव और व्रत-पालनकी अभिलाषा--राजा शिबिमें ये सभी गुण अनुपम हैं तथा बुद्धिमें भी उनकी समता करनेवाला कोई नहीं है

Transliteration

aṣṭaka uvāca | dānaṁ tapaḥ satyam athāpi dharmo hrīḥ śrīḥ kṣamā saumy amatho vidhitsā | rājann etāny aprameyāṇi rājñaḥ śibeḥ sthitāny apratimasya buddhā nara-īśvara ||

Translation

Аштакa сказал: «О царь, в царе Шиби — несравненном — пребывают неизмеримые добродетели: щедрость, аскеза, правдивость, праведность (дхарма), скромность, величие, прощение, мягкость и твёрдая решимость соблюдать обеты и должное поведение. Никто не равен ему в мудрости, о владыка людей».

Word by Word

दानम्gift, charity

तपःausterity, penance

सत्यम्truth

अथand then; also

अपिalso, even

धर्मःdharma, righteousness

ह्रीःmodesty, shame (sense of propriety)

श्रीःprosperity, splendor

क्षमाforbearance, forgiveness

सौम्यम्gentleness, mildness

अथand then; also

विधित्साdesire to observe/perform (vows, prescribed acts)

राजन्O king

एतानिthese

अप्रमेयाणिimmeasurable, beyond measure

राज्ञःof the king

शिबेःof Śibi

स्थितानिare established/present

अप्रतिमस्यof the incomparable one

बुद्धाintelligence (lit. the awakened/known one)

नर-ईश्वरO lord of men (king)

Speaker

अष्टक उवाच

Characters & Entities

Aṣṭaka

King Śibi

rājan (the addressed king)

nareśvara (lord of men; the addressed ruler)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse presents a model of righteous kingship: a ruler’s greatness is measured not by power but by cultivated virtues—generosity, disciplined self-control, truth, dharma, modest restraint, prosperity used rightly, forgiveness, gentleness, and commitment to prescribed ethical conduct—crowned by superior wisdom.

What is happening in the narrative?

Aṣṭaka addresses a king and praises King Śibi, listing the extraordinary virtues firmly established in him and declaring him incomparable in wisdom, thereby holding Śibi up as an ethical exemplar within the Adi Parva’s discourse.