Shloka 2
मान्धातृ-जन्म-चरितम्
The Birth and Career Account of Māndhātṛ
कथं चैनां परां काष्ठां प्राप्तवानमितद्युति: । यस्य लोकास्त्रयो वश्या विष्णोरिव महात्मन:,अमित तेजस्वी मान्धाताने यह सर्वोच्च स्थिति कैसे प्राप्त कर ली थी? सुना है, परमात्मा विष्णुके समान महाराज मान्धाताके वशमें तीनों लोक थे
kathaṃ caināṃ parāṃ kāṣṭhāṃ prāptavān amitadyutiḥ | yasya lokās trayo vaśyā viṣṇor iva mahātmanaḥ ||
«Làm sao Māndhātṛ, bậc rực rỡ vô lượng, đạt đến đỉnh cao tối thượng của vinh hiển ấy? Người ta nghe rằng, như đấng Viṣṇu đại hồn, cả ba cõi đều thuận phục dưới quyền vua Māndhātṛ. Bằng phương cách nào ngài đạt tới địa vị vô song ấy?»
युधिछिर उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames an ethical inquiry into the sources of supreme royal success: true greatness is not merely power, but an attainment that invites explanation in terms of dharma, merit, and right conduct—so extraordinary that it is compared to Viṣṇu’s cosmic sovereignty.
Yudhiṣṭhira asks how King Māndhātṛ—described as radiant and great-souled—reached the highest pinnacle of status, with the three worlds under his sway, likened to the dominion of Viṣṇu. The question introduces a forthcoming account of Māndhātṛ’s deeds and the causes of his eminence.