Shloka 2

गालवेन उशीनरराजसमागमः

Gālava’s Audience with King Uśīnara

Devanagari script

तत्र गच्छावहे भद्रे शनैरागच्छ मा शुच: । धार्मिक: संयमे युक्त: सत्ये चैव जनेश्वर:,मार्गमें गालवने राजकन्या माधवीसे कहा--भद्रे! काशीके अधिपति भीमसेनकुमार शक्तिशाली राजा दिवोदास महापराक्रमी एवं विख्यात भूमिपाल हैं। उन्हींके पास हम दोनों चलें। तुम धीरे-धीरे चली आओ। मनमें किसी प्रकारका शोक न करो। राजा दिवोदास धर्मात्मा, संयमी तथा सत्य-परायण हैं

Transliteration

tatra gacchāvahe bhadre śanair āgaccha mā śucaḥ | dhārmikaḥ saṃyame yuktaḥ satye caiva janeśvaraḥ ||

Translation

“భద్రే! మనం అక్కడికి పోదాం. నీవు నెమ్మదిగా రా; దుఃఖించకు. అక్కడి జనేశ్వరుడు ధర్మాత్ముడు, సంయమంతో యుక్తుడు, సత్యనిష్ఠుడు.”

Word by Word

तत्रthere

गच्छावहेlet us two go

भद्रेO auspicious one / dear lady

शनैःslowly

आगच्छcome

माdo not

शुचःgrieve

धार्मिकःrighteous

संयमेin self-restraint

युक्तःendowed (with), devoted

सत्येin truth

चand

एवindeed

जनेश्वरःlord of men (king)

Speaker

गालव उवाच

Characters & Entities

Gālava

Mādhavī (implied by context as the addressed woman)

a king (janeśvara) described as dhārmika and satya-parāyaṇa

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 highlights ethical kingship and personal conduct: a worthy ruler is characterized by dharma (righteousness), saṃyama (self-restraint), and satya (truth). It also teaches compassionate guidance—calming fear and grief through trust in virtue.

What is happening in the narrative?

Gālava addresses a woman (contextually Mādhavī), urging her to accompany him to a certain place, to proceed slowly, and not to worry. He reassures her by describing the king they are approaching as righteous, self-controlled, and truthful.