Shloka 7

Devanagari script

स पुत्रे राज्यमासज्य ज्येछे परमधार्मिके । सहस्रचित्यो धर्मात्मा प्रविवेश वनं नृप:,धर्मात्मा राजा सहस्रचित्य अपने परम धर्मात्मा ज्येष्ठ पुत्रको राज्यका भार सौंपकर तपस्याके लिये इसी वनमें प्रविष्ट हुए

Transliteration

sa putre rājyam āsajya jyeṣṭhe paramadhārmike | sahasracityaḥ dharmātmā praviveśa vanaṁ nṛpaḥ ||

Translation

那罗陀说道：这位正法之王萨哈斯拉奇提耶，将国政托付给最年长的王子——一位至诚奉持达摩者——随后入于林野，修行苦行之道；他在尽责安顿王权传续、确保公正治理不断绝之后，方才选择出离与舍弃。

Word by Word

सःhe

पुत्रेin/unto (his) son

राज्यम्the kingdom, sovereignty

आसज्यhaving entrusted/assigned

ज्येष्ठेin/unto the eldest (son)

परमधार्मिकेin/unto the supremely righteous (one)

सहस्रचित्यःhaving a thousand funeral mounds/altars (epithet)

धर्मात्माthe righteous-souled one

प्रविवेशentered

वनम्the forest

नृपःthe king

Speaker

नारद उवाच

Characters & Entities

Nārada

Sahasracitya

eldest son (jyeṣṭha putra)

kingdom (rājya)

forest (vana)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights a dharmic model of leadership: a king should ensure orderly succession by entrusting rule to a qualified heir, and only then pursue personal austerity and renunciation. Ethical governance and responsible withdrawal are presented as complementary duties.

What is happening in the narrative?

Nārada recounts that King Sahasracitya handed over the kingdom to his eldest, highly righteous son and then entered the forest to live an ascetic life, indicating a transition from royal responsibility to spiritual discipline.