Shloka 24

Āśvamedha-dīkṣā-nirdeśaḥ — Scheduling the Initiation and Assigning Protection for the Horse

Devanagari script

त्वं चाद्य कुरुवीराणां धर्मेण हि विराजसे । गुणीभूता: सम ते राजंस्त्वं नो राजा गुरुर्मत:,राजन्‌! समस्त कौरववीरोंमें एकमात्र आप ही धर्मसे सुशोभित होते हैं। हमलोग आपके अनुयायी हैं और आपको अपना राजा एवं गुरु मानते हैं

Transliteration

tvaṃ cādya kuruvīrāṇāṃ dharmeṇa hi virājase | guṇībhūtāḥ sama te rājaṃs tvaṃ no rājā gurur mataḥ ||

Translation

Vāyu sprach: „Und unter den Helden der Kurus glänzt heute nur du durch Rechtschaffenheit. Wir stehen auf deiner Seite und sind deine Gefolgsleute; wir halten dich für unseren König und für unseren Lehrer.“

Word by Word

त्वम्you

चand

आद्यःforemost, pre-eminent

कुरुवीराणाम्of the Kuru heroes

धर्मेणby/with righteousness (dharma)

हिindeed, for

विराजसेyou shine, are resplendent

गुणीभूताःhaving become subordinate/secondary; made into a quality (i.e., reduced to a secondary position)

समेequal, alike

तेof you/your

राजन्O king

त्वम्you

नःof us/our

राजाking

गुरुःteacher, preceptor

मतःconsidered, regarded (as)

Speaker

वायुदेव उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vāyu (Vāyudeva)

Kuru warriors (Kaurava heroes)

the addressed king (rājan)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Legitimate authority is grounded in dharma: the truly exemplary leader is the one who shines through righteous conduct, and such dharmic excellence naturally commands loyalty and the status of both ruler and teacher.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vāyu addresses a king, praising him as the only Kuru hero presently distinguished by dharma, and declares allegiance—affirming that they accept him as their sovereign and as a guiding guru.