Shloka 49

ब्राह्मणपूजा-राजधर्मः | Royal Duty of Honoring Learned Brahmins

Devanagari script

प्रतर्दनको आया जान भृगुजी आश्रमसे निकले। उन्होंने नृपश्रेष्ठ प्रतर्दनका विधिपूर्वक स्वागत-सत्कार किया ।।

Transliteration

pratardanako āyā jñātvā bhṛgujī āśramase nikale | teṣāṁ nṛpaśreṣṭha-pratardanasya vidhipūrvakaṁ svāgata-satkāraṁ cakruḥ || uvāca ca enaṁ rājendra kiṁ kāryaṁ brūhi pārthiva | sa covāca nṛpastasmai yadāgamanakāraṇam ||

Translation

Bhṛgu hay tin vua Pratardana đã đến, liền bước ra khỏi am thất. Ngài đón tiếp và tôn kính vị vua bậc nhất ấy theo đúng nghi lễ. Rồi Bhṛgu nói: “Hỡi chúa tể các vua, hỡi bậc quân vương của cõi đất, xin cho ta biết—việc gì khiến ngài đến đây?” Bấy giờ nhà vua bèn trình bày nguyên do chuyến viếng thăm.

Word by Word

• उवाच: said/spoke
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत), 3, sg, परस्मैपद

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

• एनम्: him
• एनम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: एतद्
• Form: m, acc, sg

• राजेन्द्र: O king of kings
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजेन्द्र
• Form: m, voc, sg

• किम्: what
• किम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: किम्
• Form: n, acc, sg

• कार्यम्: task/business
• कार्यम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: कार्य
• Form: n, acc, sg

• ब्रूहि: tell (me)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू (ब्रव्)
• Form: लोट् (आज्ञार्थ), 2, sg, परस्मैपद

• पार्थिव: O king/earth-lord
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार्थिव
• Form: m, voc, sg

• सः: he
• सः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: m, nom, sg

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

• उवाच: said
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत), 3, sg, परस्मैपद

• नृपः: the king
• नृपः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृप
• Form: m, nom, sg

• तस्मै: to him
• तस्मै: Sampradana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: m, dat, sg

• यत्: which/that (what)
• यत्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद्
• Form: n, acc, sg

• आगमनकारणम्: the reason for (his) coming
• आगमनकारणम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: आगमनकारण
• Form: n, acc, sg

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhṛgu
• Pratardana
• Bhṛgu's āśrama (hermitage)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The passage highlights dharma in conduct: a sage receives a king with proper hospitality, and the king states his purpose respectfully—modeling mutual decorum between spiritual authority and temporal power.

What is happening in the narrative?

King Pratardana arrives at Bhṛgu’s hermitage. Bhṛgu comes out, welcomes him with due honors, and asks the reason for the visit; the king then begins to explain his purpose.