Shloka 2

Aśvamedha-saṃbhāra: Return of the Horse, Auspicious Timing, and Construction of the Yajña Enclosure

Devanagari script

उपयाता नरव्याप्रा य एते पृथिवी श्वरा: । एतेषां क्रियतां पूजा पूजा हि नराधिपा:,'भाई! ये जो भूमण्डलका शासन करनेवाले राजा यहाँ पधारे हुए हैं, सभी पुरुषोंमें श्रेष्ठ एवं पूजाके योग्य हैं; अतः तुम इनकी यथोचित पूजा (सत्कार) करो”

Transliteration

upayātā naravyāprā ye ete pṛthivīśvarāḥ | eteṣāṃ kriyatāṃ pūjā pūjā hi narādhipāḥ ||

Translation

قال فايشَمبايانا: «هؤلاء الملوك—سادةُ الأرض—قد قدموا إلى هنا، قائمين بواجبات الرجال وشؤون الحكم. إنهم جديرون بالإكرام بين الناس؛ فاقْدِمْ لهم ما يليق من التعظيم والضيافة، فإن إكرامَ الحكّام والضيوف عملٌ مستقيمٌ في ذاته.»

Word by Word

उपयाताःarrived, come near

नरव्याप्राःbusy/engaged with men (i.e., attended by men)

येwho, those who

एतेthese

पृथिवीश्वराःlords of the earth, kings

एतेषाम्of these / for these

क्रियताम्let (it) be done; should be performed

पूजाworship, honoring

हिindeed, for

नराधिपाःkings, rulers of men

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

pṛthivīśvarāḥ (kings, lords of the earth)

narādhipāḥ (rulers of men)

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 emphasizes dharma expressed as proper honor and hospitality: those who arrive—especially kings and eminent persons—should be received with fitting respect, because honoring worthy guests and leaders sustains social order and ethical conduct.

What is happening in the narrative?

The narrator Vaiśampāyana notes that many kings have arrived and instructs that they should be duly welcomed and honored with appropriate ceremonial reception (pūjā/satkāra).