Shloka 6
Kuntī’s Prayers and the Neutralization of the Brahmāstra
Uttarā Protected; Yudhiṣṭhira’s Grief Begins
याजयित्वाश्वमेधैस्तं त्रिभिरुत्तमकल्पकै: । तद्यश: पावनं दिक्षु शतमन्योरिवातनोत् ॥ ६ ॥
yājayitvāśvamedhais taṁ tribhir uttama-kalpakaiḥ tad-yaśaḥ pāvanaṁ dikṣu śata-manyor ivātanot
Lord Sri Krishna ließ Maharaja Yudhishthira drei Pferdeopfer durchführen und verbreitete so seinen tugendhaften Ruhm in alle Richtungen, gleich dem von Indra.
This is something like the preface to the performances of aśvamedha-yajña by Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira. The comparison of Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira to the King of heaven is significant. The King of heaven is thousands and thousands of times greater than Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira in opulence, yet the fame of Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira was not less. The reason is that Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira was a pure devotee of the Lord, and by His grace only was King Yudhiṣṭhira on the level of the King of heaven, even though he performed only three yajñas whereas the King of heaven performed hundreds. That is the prerogative of the devotee of the Lord. The Lord is equal to everyone, but a devotee of the Lord is more glorified because he is always in touch with the all-great. The sun rays are equally distributed, but still there are some places which are always dark. This is not due to the sun but to the receptive power. Similarly, those who are cent-percent devotees of the Lord get the full-fledged mercy of the Lord, which is always equally distributed everywhere.
FAQs
This verse states that King Yudhiṣṭhira performed three impeccably arranged Aśvamedha sacrifices, and that such righteous acts caused his purifying fame to spread in all directions.
Indra is invoked as a well-known standard of widespread fame and glory; the verse compares Yudhiṣṭhira’s renown—earned through flawless Vedic sacrifice—to Indra’s celebrated reputation.
The verse highlights that reputation becomes spiritually uplifting when it is the result of integrity, duty, and selfless service—encouraging one to seek honor through dharmic conduct rather than ego or display.