Shloka 16

Chapter 2: Sudarśana Upākhyāna — Atithi-Dharma and the Conquest of Mṛtyu

Gṛhastha-Vrata

Devanagari script

सुदक्षिणो मधुरवागनसूयुर्जितिन्द्रिय: । धर्मात्मा चानृशंसश्न विक्रान्तो5<थाविकत्थन:

Transliteration

sudakṣiṇo madhuravāg anasūyur jitendriyaḥ | dharmātmā cānṛśaṁsaś ca vikrānto ’thāvikatthanaḥ ||

Translation

Bhīṣma nói: “Vị vua ấy vô cùng rộng rãi, lời nói dịu ngọt, không bới lỗi người, không ganh ghét, làm chủ các giác quan, một lòng theo dharma, giàu lòng thương xót, dũng mãnh; và chưa từng tự ca tụng mình.”

Word by Word

• सुदक्षिणः: very generous (liberal in giving)
• सुदक्षिणः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुदक्षिण
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• मधुरवाक्: sweet-spoken
• मधुरवाक्: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मधुरवाक्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• अनसूयुः: free from envy/censoriousness
• अनसूयुः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनसूयु
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• जितेन्द्रियः: having conquered the senses
• जितेन्द्रियः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जितेन्द्रिय
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• धर्मात्मा: righteous-souled person
• धर्मात्मा: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्मात्मन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• अनृशंसः: compassionate, not cruel
• अनृशंसः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनृशंस
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• विक्रान्तः: valiant, heroic
• विक्रान्तः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विक्रान्त
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• अथ: and/then
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ

• अविकत्थनः: not boastful
• अविकत्थनः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अविकत्थन
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• a king (unnamed in this verse)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse presents an ethical portrait of the ideal ruler: generosity and pleasant speech tempered by non-censoriousness, self-mastery, commitment to dharma, compassion, courage, and humility (absence of boasting).

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhishma is describing the character of a king, listing his virtues as a model of righteous conduct and exemplary kingship within the Anushasana Parva’s broader instruction on dharma.