Chapter 1 · Prathamo’dhyāyaḥ (First Chapter)
Verse 4
स्वारोचिषेऽन्तरे पूर्वं चैत्रवंशसमुद्भवः। सुरथो नाम राजाभूत्समस्ते क्षितिमण्डले ॥ ४ ॥
svārōciṣē’ntarē pūrvaṁ caitravaṁśasamudbhavaḥ | surathō nāma rājābhūtsamastē kṣitimaṇḍalē || 4 ||
Translation
Previously, in the Svārociṣa Manvantara, there was a king named Suratha, born in the Chandra dynasty, who ruled over the entire earth.
Word by word
- svārōciṣē
- in the Svārociṣa
- antarē
- in the period
- pūrvaṁ
- previously
- caitravaṁśasamudbhavaḥ
- born in the lunar dynasty
- surathaḥ
- Suratha
- nāma
- by name
- rājā
- king
- abhūt
- was
- samastē
- in the entire
- kṣitimaṇḍalē
- sphere of the earth
Meaning
The sage begins the specific narrative. He introduces King Suratha, a central character in the frame story. He establishes the time period (the previous Svārociṣa Manvantara) and Suratha's noble lineage (the Chandravamsha or Lunar Dynasty). The fact that he ruled the entire world (samaste kṣitimaṇḍale) sets the stage for his subsequent great fall, making his story more impactful.