Shloka 23

Takṣaka’s agency, Parīkṣit’s rites, and Janamejaya’s enthronement (वैयासिक परम्परा-प्रसङ्गः)

Devanagari script

न हि तं राजशार्टूल॑ क्षमाशीलो महामुनि: । स्वधर्मनिरतं भूपं समाक्षिप्तो5प्यधर्षयत्‌,राजाओंमें श्रेष्ठ भूपाल परीक्षित्‌ अपने धर्मके पालनमें तत्पर रहते थे, अत: उस समय उनके द्वारा तिरस्कृत होनेपर भी क्षमाशील महामुनिने उन्हें अपमानित नहीं किया

Transliteration

na hi taṃ rājaśārṭūla kṣamāśīlo mahāmuniḥ | svadharmanirataṃ bhūpaṃ samākṣipto 'py adharṣayat ||

Translation

రాజశార్దూలుడైన ఆ భూపుడు స్వధర్మంలో నిమగ్నుడై ఉన్నాడు; అతడు తిరస్కరించినప్పటికీ క్షమాశీల మహాముని అతనిని అవమానించలేదు.

Word by Word

नnot

हिindeed/for

तम्him

राजशार्दूलO tiger among kings

क्षमाशीलःforbearing, patient

महामुनिःthe great sage

स्वधर्मनिरतम्devoted to his own duty

भूपम्the king

समाक्षिप्तःinsulted/abused (having been reviled)

अपिeven/although

अधर्षयत्he insulted/treated with contempt

Speaker

शौनक उवाच

Characters & Entities

श

शौनक (Śaunaka)

र

राजशार्दूल (rājaśārṭūla—honorific addressee)

म

महामुनि (the great sage, unnamed in this verse)

भ

भूप/राजा (the king, identified in the accompanying Hindi as Parīkṣit)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights kṣamā (forbearance) as a mark of true greatness: even when insulted, a wise sage does not retaliate. Ethical strength is shown through restraint, especially in tense encounters between spiritual authority and royal power.

What is happening in the narrative?

Śaunaka addresses an eminent king and explains that a great sage, though insulted, did not strike back at the king who was intent on fulfilling his royal dharma. The focus is on the sage’s patience and the moral framing of the king’s conduct as ‘svadharma’-oriented.