Shloka 17

Aśvamedha-dīkṣā, Vyāsa’s horse-release, and Arjuna’s departure with Gāṇḍīva (आश्वमेधिक-दीक्षा तथा हय-उत्सर्गः)

Devanagari script

स हि धर्मार्थकुशल: सर्वविद्याविशारद: | यथाशास्त्र॑ नृपश्रेष्ठ चारयिष्यति ते हयम्‌,“नृपश्रेष्ठ! वे धर्म और अर्थमें कुशल तथा सम्पूर्ण विद्याओंमें प्रवीण हैं, इसलिये आपके यज्ञ-सम्बन्धी अश्वका शास्त्रीय विधिके अनुसार संचालन करेंगे

Transliteration

sa hi dharmārthakuśalaḥ sarvavidyāviśāradaḥ | yathāśāstraṁ nṛpaśreṣṭha cārayiṣyati te hayam ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana sprach: „Denn er ist kundig in Dharma und Artha und in allen Wissenszweigen vollkommen bewandert. Darum, o bester der Könige, wird er dein Opferross streng nach den Vorschriften der Śāstras führen.“

Word by Word

सःhe

हिindeed/for

धर्मार्थकुशलःskilled in dharma and artha

सर्वविद्याविशारदःproficient in all branches of knowledge

यथाaccording to/as

शास्त्रम्the treatise/rule (scriptural injunction)

नृपश्रेष्ठO best of kings

चारयिष्यतिwill conduct/lead (set in motion)

तेof you/your

हयम्the horse

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

nṛpaśreṣṭha (the best of kings)

Aśvamedha horse (haya)

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?

Competent leadership and ritual action must be grounded in dharma and artha and carried out in conformity with śāstra; expertise and ethical discernment are presented as prerequisites for properly directing a king’s sacred undertaking.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana describes a qualified person—learned in all disciplines and skilled in dharma and artha—who will oversee and conduct the king’s Aśvamedha horse according to scriptural procedure, ensuring the rite proceeds correctly.