Shloka 12

Agastya–Lopāmudrā: Marriage, Austerity, and Conditions for Conjugal Union (लोमशकथितम्)

Devanagari script

उवास च स्वयं तत्र धर्मराज: सनातन: । सर्वासां सरितां चैव समुद्भेदो विशाम्पते

Transliteration

uvāsa ca svayaṃ tatra dharmarājaḥ sanātanaḥ | sarvāsāṃ saritāṃ caiva samudbhedo viśāmpate ||

Translation

Sinabi ni Vaiśaṃpāyana: Doon, ang walang-hanggang Dharmarāja (Yudhiṣṭhira) mismo ang nanirahan. O panginoon ng mga tao, ang pook na iyon ay kilala rin bilang pinagmumulan ng lahat ng ilog—isang banal na tanawin kung saan ang makatuwirang paghahari ay umaayon sa bukal ng kadalisayan at kaayusan.

Word by Word

उवासdwelt, stayed

चand

स्वयम्himself

तत्रthere

धर्मराजःDharma-king (Yudhiṣṭhira)

सनातनःeternal, ancient

सर्वासाम्of all

सरिताम्of rivers

चand

एवindeed, just

समुद्भेदःthe source/origin (lit. emergence) of the sea

विशाम्पतेO lord of the people

Speaker

वैशग्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśaṃpāyana

Dharmarāja (Yudhiṣṭhira)

saritaḥ (rivers)

samudbheda (source/origin of rivers)

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse links righteous leadership (Dharmarāja) with a sacred setting described as the source of rivers, suggesting that dharma is nourished by purity, restraint, and alignment with ancient, life-giving order—like rivers sustaining the world.

What is happening in the narrative?

The narrator states that Yudhiṣṭhira personally stayed at that location, characterized as a revered place associated with the emergence of rivers, situating the Pāṇḍavas’ movement in exile within a spiritually charged landscape.