स हास्तिनपुरे रम्ये कुरूणां पुटभेदने ॥
वसन् सागरपर्यन्ताम् अन्वशाद् वै वसुंधराम् ॥
स देवराजसदृशो धर्मज्ञः सत्यवाग् ऋजुः ॥
दानधर्मतपोयोगाच् छ्रिया परमया युतः ॥
अरागद्वेषसंयुक्तः सोमवत् प्रियदर्शनः ॥
तेजसा सूर्यसंकाशो वायुवेगसमो जवे ॥
अन्तकप्रतिमः कोपे क्षमया पृथिवीसमः ॥
वधः पशुवराहाणां तथैव मृगपक्षिणाम् ॥
शंतनौ पृथिवीपाले नावर्तत वृथा नृप ॥
धर्मब्रह्मोत्तरे राज्ये शंतनुर् विनयात्मवान् ॥
समं शशास भूतानि कामरागविवर्जितः ॥
देवर्षिपितृयज्ञार्थम् आरभ्यन्त तदा क्रियाः ॥
न चाधर्मेण केषां चित् प्राणिनाम् अभवद् वधः ॥
असुखानाम् अनाथानां तिर्यग्योनिषु वर्तताम् ॥
स एव राजा भूतानां सर्वेषाम् अभवत् पिता ॥
तस्मिन् कुरुपतिश्रेष्ठे राजराजेश्वरे सति ॥
श्रिता वाग् अभवत् सत्यं दानधर्माश्रितं मनः ॥
sa hāstinapure ramye kurūṇāṃ puṭabhedane ||
vasan sāgaraparyantām anvaśād vai vasuṃdharām ||
sa devarājasadṛśo dharmajñaḥ satyavāg ṛjuḥ ||
dānadharmatapoyogāc chriyā paramayā yutaḥ ||
arāgadveṣasaṃyuktaḥ somavat priyadarśanaḥ ||
tejasā sūryasaṃkāśo vāyuvegasamo jave ||
antakapratimaḥ kope kṣamayā pṛthivīsamaḥ ||
vadhaḥ paśuvarāhāṇāṃ tathaiva mṛgapakṣiṇām ||
śaṃtanau pṛthivīpāle nāvartata vṛthā nṛpa ||
dharmabrahmottare rājye śaṃtanur vinayātmavān ||
samaṃ śaśāsa bhūtāni kāmarāgavivarjitaḥ ||
devarṣipitṛyajñārtham ārabhyanta tadā kriyāḥ ||
na cādharmeṇa keṣāṃ cit prāṇinām abhavad vadhaḥ ||
asukhānām anāthānāṃ tiryagyoniṣu vartatām ||
sa eva rājā bhūtānāṃ sarveṣām abhavat pitā ||
tasmin kurupatiśreṣṭhe rājarājeśvare sati ||
śritā vāg abhavat satyaṃ dānadharmāśritaṃ manaḥ ||
'Dwelling in beautiful Hastinapura, the capital of the Kurus, he ruled the earth as far as the oceans. He, equal to the king of the gods, a knower of dharma, truthful, upright, was endowed through generosity, dharma and austerity with the highest glory. Free from passion and hatred, pleasing to behold like the moon, radiant as the sun, swift as the wind, like Antaka in wrath, equal to the earth in patience. The slaying of cattle, boars, and likewise of wild animals and birds did not happen in vain under Shantanu, guardian of the earth, O king. In a kingdom where dharma and the brahmins held primacy, Shantanu, humble and self-controlled, ruled all beings impartially, free from desire and attachment. For the sake of sacrifices to gods, sages and ancestors, rites were then undertaken; and no creature was ever slain unrighteously. For the unhappy, the unprotected, those dwelling in the wombs of beasts — for all beings that king was a father. Under that best of the lords of the Kurus, sovereign of kings, speech held to truth, and the mind rested upon generosity and dharma.'
4d8b9c0d9914 · प्रकाशित 12 जुल॰ 2026, 4:16:46 pm UTC
उपलब्ध भाषाएँRUENश्लोक बदलें इन कुंजियों से
Here the praise of Shantanu's righteous rule continues. It is notable that 'the slaying of animals did not happen in vain' and 'no creature was ever slain unrighteously': even in the hunt and in the rites the king kept measure and permitted no senseless violence. Here is the spirit of ahimsa, compassion for all that lives: the righteous man takes no life without cause, for every life is a spark of the Lord, and violence without dharma breeds sin. Notable too is that the king was 'a father to all beings,' including animals and the defenseless: true power is service and care, not dominion for its own sake. Here is the image of the good shepherd, reflecting the Lord's own care for all souls. And the fruit of such rule is that 'speech held to truth, and the mind rested upon generosity and dharma': the ruler's virtue cultivates virtue in the people. Thus the scripture teaches that the moral order of a society descends from above — from the purity and compassion of the one who rules.