Shloka 25

Jaradkāru Encounters the Pitṛs

Jaratkāru-Pitṛdarśana

Devanagari script

परिक्षित्तु विशेषेण यथास्य प्रपितामह: । रक्षत्यस्मांस्तथा राज्ञा रक्षितव्या: प्रजा विभो,परीक्षित्‌ तो विशेषरूपसे अपने प्रपितामह युधिष्ठिर आदिकी भाँति हमारी रक्षा करते हैं। शक्तिशाली पुत्र! प्रत्येक राजाको इसी प्रकार प्रजाकी रक्षा करनी चाहिये

Transliteration

parīkṣittu viśeṣeṇa yathāsya prapitāmahaḥ | rakṣaty asmāṁs tathā rājñā rakṣitavyāḥ prajā vibho ||

Translation

ఓ పరీక్షిత్! నీవు విశేషంగా మమ్మల్ని రక్షిస్తున్నావు; నీ ప్రపితామహుడు ఒకప్పుడు చేసినట్లే. కావున, ఓ మహాబలవంతుడా, రాజు కూడా అలాగే ప్రజలను రక్షించవలెను.

Word by Word

• परीक्षित्: Parikshit (the king)
• परीक्षित्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: परीक्षित् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• तु: but/indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु

• विशेषेण: especially; in particular
• विशेषेण: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: विशेष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• यथा: as; just as
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा

• अस्य: of him/of this (king)
• अस्य: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Singular

• प्रपितामहः: great-grandfather
• प्रपितामहः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रपितामह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• रक्षति: protects
• Type: Verb
• Root: रक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: Present, 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• अस्मान्: us
• अस्मान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: —, Accusative, Plural

• तथा: so; in the same way
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा

• राज्ञा: by the king
• राज्ञा: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• रक्षितव्याः: to be protected; should be protected
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रक्ष् (धातु) + तव्यत्
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Plural

• प्रजाः: subjects; people
• प्रजाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रजा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Plural

• विभो: O mighty one; O lord
• Type: Noun
• Root: विभु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

Speaker

शमीक उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Parīkṣit
• prapitāmaha (great-grandfather, understood as Yudhiṣṭhira in the received tradition)
• prajāḥ (the subjects/people)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse states a principle of rājadharma: the foremost duty of a king is to protect the people, taking guidance from exemplary ancestors who upheld this responsibility.

What is happening in the narrative?

Śamīka addresses King Parīkṣit, acknowledging his protective conduct and using it to affirm the general rule that rulers must safeguard their subjects, as righteous kings of the lineage did before.