Shloka 16

ब्राह्मणपूजा-राजधर्मः | Royal Duty of Honoring Learned Brahmins

Devanagari script

दिवोदासस्तु विज्ञाय वीर्य तेषां यतात्मनाम्‌ । वाराणसीं महातेजा निर्ममे शक्रशासनात्‌,दिवोदास बड़े तेजस्वी राजा थे। उन्होंने जब मनको वशमें रखनेवाले हैहयराजकुमारोंके पराक्रमपर विचार किया तब इन्द्रकी आज्ञासे वाराणसी नामवाली नगरी बसायी

Transliteration

divodāsas tu vijñāya vīrya teṣāṃ yatātmanām | vārāṇasīṃ mahātejā nirmame śakraśāsanāt ||

Translation

భీష్ముడు పలికెను—మహాతేజస్సుగల రాజు దివోదాసుడు, ఆత్మనిగ్రహం కలిగిన హైహయ వంశ రాజకుమారుల పరాక్రమాన్ని గ్రహించి, శక్రుడు (ఇంద్రుడు) ఆజ్ఞ ప్రకారం వారాణసీ నగరాన్ని స్థాపించాడు.

Word by Word

दिवोदासःDivodāsa

तुbut/indeed

विज्ञायhaving known

वीर्यम्valor, prowess

तेषाम्of them

यतात्मनाम्of the self-controlled (ones)

वाराणसीम्Vārāṇasī

महातेजाःthe great-splendored (one)

निर्ममेmade, founded

शक्रशासनात्from/according to Śakra's command (Indra's order)

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhīṣma

Divodāsa

Haihaya princes (Haihayarājakumāra)

Śakra (Indra)

Vārāṇasī (Kāśī)

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?

A ruler should assess realities—such as the strength and discipline of rivals—and act with foresight; at the same time, legitimate rule is portrayed as aligned with a higher order (here, Indra’s command), suggesting that political action gains ethical weight when guided by discernment and sanctioned authority.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhīṣma narrates that King Divodāsa, recognizing the prowess of the self-controlled Haihaya princes, established the city of Vārāṇasī, doing so in accordance with Śakra (Indra)’s directive.