Mahabharata · 2.16.18–19
॥
Devanāgarī
स ताभ्यां शुशुभे राजा पत्नीभ्यां मनुजाधिप ॥
प्रियाभ्याम् अनुरूपाभ्यां करेणुभ्याम् इव द्विपः ॥
तयोर् मध्यगतश् चापि रराज वसुधाधिपः ॥
गङ्गायमुनयोर् मध्ये मूर्तिमान् इव सागरः ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
sa tābhyāṃ śuśubhe rājā patnībhyāṃ manujādhipa ||
priyābhyām anurūpābhyāṃ kareṇubhyām iva dvipaḥ ||
tayor madhyagataś cāpi rarāja vasudhādhipaḥ ||
gaṅgāyamunayor madhye mūrtimān iva sāgaraḥ ||
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
सः ताभ्याम् शुशुभे राजाsaḥ tābhyām śuśubhe rājāhe shone with those, the king,
पत्नीभ्याम् मनुज-अधिपpatnībhyām manuja-adhipawith his wives, O lord of men,
प्रियाभ्याम् अनुरूपाभ्याम्priyābhyām anurūpābhyāmbeloved and befitting [him],
करेणुभ्याम् इव द्विपःkareṇubhyām iva dvipaḥas an elephant with two she-elephants;
तयोः मध्य-गतः च अपिtayoḥ madhya-gataḥ ca apiand dwelling between them,
रराज वसुधा-अधिपःrarāja vasudhā-adhipaḥthe lord of the earth shone,
गङ्गा-यमुनयोः मध्येgaṅgā-yamunayoḥ madhyebetween the Ganga and the Yamuna
मूर्ति-मान् इव सागरःmūrti-mān iva sāgaraḥlike the ocean incarnate;
सsaoriginal form “sa”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
ताभ्यांtābhyāṃoriginal form “tābhyāṃ”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
पत्नीभ्यांpatnībhyāṃoriginal form “patnībhyāṃ”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
मनुजाधिपmanujādhipaoriginal form “manujādhipa”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
अनुरूपाभ्यांanurūpābhyāṃoriginal form “anurūpābhyāṃ”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
तयोर्tayororiginal form “tayor”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
मध्यगतश्madhyagataśoriginal form “madhyagataś”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
चापिcāpioriginal form “cāpi”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
वसुधाधिपःvasudhādhipaḥoriginal form “vasudhādhipaḥ”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
गङ्गायमुनयोर्gaṅgāyamunayororiginal form “gaṅgāyamunayor”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
मूर्तिमान्mūrtimānoriginal form “mūrtimān”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
Translation
‘He shone, O lord of men, with those beloved wives who befitted him, as an elephant with two she-elephants; and dwelling between them, the lord of the earth shone like the ocean incarnate between the Ganga and the Yamuna.’
Version
ffb9e33c1544 · published Jul 16, 2026, 3:13:23 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
Here is shown the fullness of the king's earthly happiness — yet, as it will turn out, without fruit. It is telling that all this splendor does not quench the thirst for an heir: even in abundance there is an emptiness that things cannot fill. Thus the scripture shows the insufficiency of earthly well-being without the fulfillment of one's cherished wish; and next comes his childlessness.