Shloka 20

अश्वमेधावसानम् — Dakṣiṇā-vibhāga and Avabhṛtha

Completion of the Aśvamedha

Devanagari script

तदा संधाय शक्रेण पप्रच्छुर्न॒पतिं वसुम्‌ धर्मसंशयमापन्नान्‌ सत्यं ब्रूहि महामते,भरतनन्दन! वे तत्त्वदर्शी ऋषि जब इस विवादसे बहुत खिन्न हो गये, तब उन्होंने इन्द्रके साथ सलाह लेकर इस विषयमें राजा उपरिचर वसुसे पूछा--“महामते! हमलोग धर्मविषयक संदेहमें पड़े हुए हैं। आप हमसे सच्ची बात बताइये

Transliteration

tadā sandhāya śakreṇa papracchur nṛpatiṁ vasum | dharmasaṁśayam āpannān satyaṁ brūhi mahāmate bharatanandana ||

Translation

বৈশম্পায়নে ক’লে—তেতিয়া শক্ৰ (ইন্দ্ৰ)ৰ সৈতে পৰামৰ্শ কৰি তেওঁলোকে বসু ৰজাক সুধিলে—“ভৰতনন্দন! আমি ধৰ্মসংশয়ত পৰিছোঁ; মহামতে, সত্য কওক।”

Word by Word

• {'tadā': 'then', 'sandhāya': 'having joined together

• having conferred/consulted', 'śakreṇa': 'with Śakra (Indra)', 'papracchuḥ': 'they asked, they inquired', 'nṛpatim': 'the king', 'vasum': 'Vasu (Uparicara Vasu), proper name', 'dharma-saṁśayam': 'doubt/uncertainty about dharma (right conduct, law, duty)', 'āpannān': 'having fallen into

• having come to be in (a state)', 'satyam': 'truth', 'brūhi': 'speak, tell (imperative)', 'mahāmate': 'O great-minded/wise one', 'bharatanandana': 'O joy of the Bharata lineage (honorific address)'}

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Śakra (Indra)
• King Vasu (Uparicara Vasu)
• Ṛṣis (seers)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

When dharma becomes uncertain, one should seek clarification through deliberation and then commit to truth (satya). The verse highlights truthfulness as the proper response to ethical doubt.

What is happening in the narrative?

The seers, distressed by a dispute about dharma, consult Indra and then approach King Vasu, requesting a truthful ruling or explanation to resolve their uncertainty.