Shloka 44
नलस्य बाहुकत्वेन ऋतुपर्णनगरप्रवेशः
Nala as Bāhuka enters Ṛtuparṇa’s city
राजा विदर्भाधिपति: पिता मम महारथ: । भीमो नाम क्षितिपतिक्षातुर्वर्ण्यस्य रक्षिता,“विदर्भदेशके स्वामी महारथी भीम नामक राजा मेरे पिता हैं। वे पृथ्वीके पालक तथा चारों वर्णोके रक्षक हैं
rājā vidarbhādhipatiḥ pitā mama mahārathaḥ | bhīmo nāma kṣitipatiś cāturvarṇyasya rakṣitā |
Phụ vương tôi là vua Bhīma, chúa tể xứ Vidarbha, một đại chiến xa dũng tướng. Người là bậc hộ trì cõi đất và là đấng bảo hộ bốn giai tầng xã hội.
बृहृदश्च उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames ideal kingship as protective responsibility: a ruler’s dharma is to safeguard the realm and uphold the social-ethical order (cāturvarṇya), ensuring security and the proper functioning of duties across society.
Bṛhadaśva identifies a key figure in the background of the story by stating his own lineage: his father is Bhīma, the powerful king of Vidarbha, described as a great warrior and as a guardian of the kingdom’s social order.