Mahabharata · 1.163.14–15
॥
Devanāgarī
ततो द्वादश वर्षाणि काननेषु जलेषु च ॥
रेमे तस्मिन् गिरौ राजा तयैव सह भार्यया ॥
तस्य राज्ञः पुरे तस्मिन् समा द्वादश सर्वशः ॥
न ववर्ष सहस्राक्षो राष्ट्रे चैवास्य सर्वशः ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
tato dvādaśa varṣāṇi kānaneṣu jaleṣu ca ||
reme tasmin girau rājā tayaiva saha bhāryayā ||
tasya rājñaḥ pure tasmin samā dvādaśa sarvaśaḥ ||
na vavarṣa sahasrākṣo rāṣṭre caivāsya sarvaśaḥ ||
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
ततः द्वादश वर्षाणि काननेषु जलेषु चtataḥ dvādaśa varṣāṇi kānaneṣu jaleṣu cathen for twelve years, in the forests and by the waters,
रेमे तस्मिन् गिरौ राजा तया एव सह भार्ययाreme tasmin girau rājā tayā eva saha bhāryayāthe king delighted on that mountain with that same wife;
तस्य राज्ञः पुरे तस्मिन् समाः द्वादश सर्वशःtasya rājñaḥ pure tasmin samāḥ dvādaśa sarvaśaḥ[but] in that king's city, for a full twelve years,
न ववर्ष सहस्राक्षः राष्ट्रे च एव अस्य सर्वशःna vavarṣa sahasrākṣaḥ rāṣṭre ca eva asya sarvaśaḥthe thousand-eyed one [Indra] did not send rain, nor in all his kingdom;
ततोtatooriginal form "tato", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
तयैवtayaivaoriginal form "tayaiva", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
समाsamāoriginal form "samā", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
सहस्राक्षोsahasrākṣooriginal form "sahasrākṣo", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
चैवास्यcaivāsyaoriginal form "caivāsya", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
Translation
"Then for twelve years, in the forests and by the waters, the king took delight on that mountain with that same wife; but in his city, and throughout his kingdom, for a full twelve years the thousand-eyed Indra did not send rain."
Version
f94db30e6a9c · published Jul 12, 2026, 5:29:43 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
Here the bond between the king and the land's well-being is revealed. The coincidence is telling: while the king delights far away for twelve years, for twelve years there is no rain in his kingdom — the absence of a righteous ruler dries up the very earth. Here an ancient understanding is disclosed: the people's prosperity and the land's fertility are bound to the presence and righteousness of the king; where the ruler neglects his duty, nature too grows barren. Thus the scripture shows that neglect of rajadharma brings calamity upon all; and the pleasure of one turns into drought for thousands.