Shloka 38

Devanagari script

क्रीडन्त्यश्व हसन्त्यश्न गायन्त्यश्वापिता: शुभम्‌

Transliteration

krīḍanty aśva hasanty aśn gayanty aśvāpītāḥ śubham

Translation

قال بهيشما: «إنهن يلهون؛ ويضحكن؛ ويأكلن؛ وينشدن أناشيد مباركة—بعد أن شربن سُقيا الإراقة في أشفاميدها (قربان الحصان).» وفي السياق، تُبرز هذه العبارة مظاهر اليسر ونجاح الطقس في الظاهر، لكنها تُلمّح إلى أن الفضل الحق رهين بالنية القويمة والسلوك المستقيم، لا بمجرد بهرج الاحتفال.

Word by Word

क्रीडन्तिthey play

अश्वाःhorses

हसन्तिthey laugh

अश्नन्तिthey eat

गायन्तिthey sing

अश्वापिताःhaving been made/treated as horses (horse-like); (contextually) horse-possessed/horse-provided

शुभम्auspiciousness; good (thing)

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhīṣma

aśva (horse / aśvamedha context)

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?

Ritual success and social celebration are depicted as signs of prosperity, but the ethical implication is that true dharmic merit is grounded in right intention and conduct, not merely in festive enjoyment after a sacrifice.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhīṣma describes people rejoicing—playing, laughing, eating, and singing auspiciously—after drinking the sacrificial drink associated with the horse-sacrifice context, portraying a scene of communal celebration following a successful rite.