Shloka 2

कुरुवंशप्रश्नः—दुःषन्तस्य राजधर्मवर्णनम्

Kuru Lineage Inquiry and the Portrait of King Duḥṣanta’s Rule

Devanagari script

कथां त्वनघ चित्रार्था कथयस्व तपोधन । विस्तरश्रवणे जातं कौतूहलमतीव मे,निष्पाप तपोधन! अब उस विचित्र अर्थवाली कथाको विस्तारके साथ कहिये; क्योंकि उसे विस्तारपूर्वक सुननेके लिये मेरे मनमें बड़ा कौतूहल हो रहा है

Transliteration

kathāṁ tv anagha citrārthāṁ kathayasva tapodhana | vistaraśravaṇe jātaṁ kautūhalam atīva me ||

Translation

Hỡi bậc vô tội, hỡi kho báu của khổ hạnh, xin hãy kể câu chuyện ấy—mang ý nghĩa kỳ diệu—một cách tường tận. Trong lòng ta đã dấy lên niềm hiếu kỳ mãnh liệt, muốn được nghe trọn vẹn từng chi tiết.

Word by Word

कथाम्story, account

तुbut/indeed

अनघO sinless one

चित्रार्थाhaving a wondrous meaning

कथयस्वtell, narrate

तपोधनO ascetic-sage (whose wealth is austerity)

विस्तरश्रवणेin (the act of) detailed hearing

जातम्arisen, born

कौतूहलम्curiosity, eagerness

अतीवexceedingly, very much

मेof me, my

निष्पापO sinless one

तपोधनO ascetic-sage

Speaker

जनमेजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Janamejaya

Tapodhana (addressed sage, i.e., Vaiśampāyana in context)

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 the dharmic posture of learning: respectful inquiry and the desire to hear a significant narrative in full, implying that careful listening (śravaṇa) is essential for grasping deeper meaning.

What is happening in the narrative?

King Janamejaya addresses the sage (called 'tapodhana') and requests that a previously mentioned, wondrously meaningful story be narrated in greater detail, expressing strong curiosity to hear the full account.