Mahabharata 1.95.62 — Adi Parva, Adhyaya 95, Shloka 62

अध्याय ९५: चित्राङ्गदस्य गन्धर्वेण सह संग्रामः तथा विचित्रवीर्यस्य राज्याभिषेकः

Chitrāṅgada’s duel with the Gandharva and Vicitravīrya’s consecration

Devanagari script

देवापिश्न प्रवव्राज तेषां धर्महितेप्सया । शान्तनुश्न महीं लेभे बाह्लीकश्न महारथ:

Transliteration

Vaiśaṃpāyana uvāca: Devāpiḥ pravavrāja teṣāṃ dharma-hitepsayā | Śāntanuś ca mahīṃ lebhe Bāhlīkaś ca mahārathaḥ ||

Translation

ไวศัมปายนะกล่าวว่า “เทวาปิปรารถนาประโยชน์อันเกิดจากธรรม จึงออกบวชและเข้าสู่ป่า ดังนั้นศานตนุจึงได้ครอบครองแผ่นดิน และพาหลีกะผู้เป็นมหารถีก็ได้อำนาจราชย์เช่นกัน”

Word by Word

• {'Vaiśaṃpāyana uvāca': 'Vaiśaṃpāyana said', 'Devāpiḥ': 'Devāpi (name of a prince

• elder in the line of Pratīpa)', 'pravavrāja': 'departed forth

• went away (often implying renunciation/ascetic departure)', 'teṣām': 'of them

• among them', 'dharma-hita-īpsayā': 'with the desire (īpsā) for welfare/benefit (hita) through dharma', 'Śāntanuḥ': 'Śāntanu (king of the Kuru line)', 'ca': 'and', 'mahīm': 'the earth

• the kingdom/realm', 'lebhe': 'obtained

• received', 'Bāhlīkaḥ': 'Bāhlīka (a prince/king associated with Bāhlīka/Bactria

• here a brother in the lineage)', 'mahārathaḥ': 'great chariot-warrior

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśaṃpāyana
• Devāpi
• Śāntanu
• Bāhlīka
• mahī (the earth/kingdom)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse underscores that commitment to dharma may involve renunciation, and such ethical choices can legitimately alter worldly outcomes like succession; political authority is shown as contingent upon moral and ascetic decisions within the family line.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the account of Pratīpa’s lineage, Devāpi leaves for the forest seeking dharmic welfare; as a result, Śāntanu receives the kingship, and Bāhlīka is also described as a great warrior who attains royal standing.