Shloka 8

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

Gṛhastha-Vrata

Devanagari script

दशाश्वका पुत्र भी बड़ा धर्मात्मा राजा था। उसका मन सदा सत्य, तपस्या और दानमें ही लगा रहता था ।।

Transliteration

madirāśvaḥ iti khyātaḥ pṛthivyāṃ pṛthivīpatiḥ | dhanurvede ca vede ca nirato yo ’bhavat sadā ||

Translation

Bhīṣma nói: Trên cõi đất này có một vị vua được xưng tụng là Madirāśva. Vững bền không đổi, ông luôn chuyên tâm cả vào Veda lẫn Dhanurveda—khoa học cung tiễn—kết hợp học vấn thiêng liêng với kỷ luật võ nghệ, đúng với phong thái của một minh quân theo chính pháp.

Word by Word

• मदिराश्वकः: Madirāśvaka (name of the king)
• मदिराश्वकः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: मदिराश्वक
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• इति: thus (as)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति

• ख्यातः: renowned, famed
• Type: Verb
• Root: ख्या
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular, Past passive participle (क्त)

• पृथिव्याम्: on the earth
• पृथिव्याम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: पृथिवी
• Form: Feminine, Locative, Singular

• पृथिवीपतिः: lord of the earth, king
• पृथिवीपतिः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पृथिवीपति
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• धनुर्वेदे: in the science of archery
• धनुर्वेदे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: धनुर्वेद
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

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

• वेदे: in the Veda
• वेदे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेद
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

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

• निरतः: engaged, devoted
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि-रम्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular, Past passive participle (क्त)

• यः: who
• यः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• अभवत्: was, became
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू
• Form: Imperfect (लङ्), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• सदा: always
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• Madirāśva
• Pṛthivī (earth)
• Veda
• Dhanurveda

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

An ideal ruler integrates spiritual-ethical learning (Veda) with disciplined martial competence (Dhanurveda). Renown is grounded not merely in power but in steady commitment to knowledge and self-control.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhishma introduces a king named Madirāśva, describing him as famous on earth and consistently devoted to studying both the Veda and the martial science of archery, setting up an exemplar of righteous kingship.