Home›Mahabharata›Ashvamedhika Parva›Adhyaya 76›Shloka 23
←Previous Verse
Next Verse→

Shloka 23

Arjuna Confronted by Saindhava Forces during the Aśvamedha Circuit (श्वेतवाहनस्य सैन्धवसंघर्षः)

Devanagari script

अब्रवीद्धि महातेजा: प्रस्थितं मां युधिष्ठिर: । राजानस्ते न हन्तव्या धनंजय कथंचन

Transliteration

abravīd dhi mahātejāḥ prasthitaṃ māṃ yudhiṣṭhiraḥ | rājānas te na hantavyā dhanaṃjaya kathaṃcana, vaktavyāś cāpi rājānaḥ sarve sahasuhṛjjanaiḥ | yudhiṣṭhirasya aśvamedho bhavadbhir anubhūyatām ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana sprach: Als ich im Begriff war aufzubrechen, redete der mächtige Yudhiṣṭhira zu mir: „Dhanañjaya, jene Könige dürfen unter keinen Umständen getötet werden. Vielmehr soll allen Königen, zusammen mit ihren Freunden und Wohlgesinnten, gesagt werden, sie mögen kommen und an der Feier von Yudhiṣṭhiras Aśvamedha teilhaben.“ So wird der Sieg nicht als weitere Eroberung verstanden, sondern als Selbstbeherrschung, Versöhnung und öffentliche Wiederherstellung der gerechten Ordnung durch ein königliches Ritual.

Word by Word
अब्रवीत्said/spoke
अब्रवीत्:
Karta
TypeVerb
Rootब्रू (धातु)
Formलङ् (अनद्यतनभूत), प्रथम, एकवचन, परस्मैपद
हिindeed/for
हि:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootहि
महातेजाःthe great-splendoured one
महातेजाः:
Karta
TypeAdjective
Rootमहातेजस् (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुं, प्रथमा, एकवचन
प्रस्थितम्departed/setting out
प्रस्थितम्:
Karma
TypeAdjective
Rootप्रस्थित (प्र + स्था; कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुं, द्वितीया, एकवचन
माम्me
माम्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootअस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुं, द्वितीया, एकवचन
युधिष्ठिरःYudhiṣṭhira
युधिष्ठिरः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootयुधिष्ठिर (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुं, प्रथमा, एकवचन
राजानःkings
राजानः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootराजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुं, प्रथमा, बहुवचन
तेthose/they
ते:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुं, प्रथमा, बहुवचन
नnot
न:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootन
हन्तव्याःto be killed (should be killed)
हन्तव्याः:
TypeAdjective
Rootहन्तव्य (हन् धातु; तव्यत्-कृदन्त)
Formपुं, प्रथमा, बहुवचन
धनंजयO Dhanañjaya (Arjuna)
धनंजय:
TypeNoun
Rootधनंजय (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुं, सम्बोधन, एकवचन
कथंचनin any way/at all
कथंचन:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootकथंचन
वक्तव्याःto be told (should be told)
वक्तव्याः:
TypeAdjective
Rootवक्तव्य (वच् धातु; तव्यत्-कृदन्त)
Formपुं, प्रथमा, बहुवचन
अथthen/and now
अथ:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootअथ
अपिalso/even
अपि:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootअपि
राजानःkings
राजानः:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootराजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुं, प्रथमा, बहुवचन
सर्वेall
सर्वे:
TypeAdjective
Rootसर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुं, प्रथमा, बहुवचन
सहtogether with
सह:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootसह
सुहृज्जनैःwith friends/well-wishers
सुहृज्जनैः:
Karana
TypeNoun
Rootसुहृज्जन (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुं, तृतीया, बहुवचन
युधिष्ठिरस्यof Yudhiṣṭhira
युधिष्ठिरस्य:
TypeNoun
Rootयुधिष्ठिर (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुं, षष्ठी, एकवचन
अश्वमेधःAśvamedha (horse-sacrifice)
अश्वमेधः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootअश्वमेध (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुं, प्रथमा, एकवचन
भवद्भिःby you / with you (honorific plural)
भवद्भिः:
Karana
TypeNoun
Rootभवत् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुं, तृतीया, बहुवचन
अनुभूयताम्let it be experienced/enjoyed
अनुभूयताम्:
TypeVerb
Rootअनु + भू (धातु)
Formलोट् (आज्ञार्थ), प्रथम, एकवचन, कर्मणि (passive)
Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities
V
Vaiśaṃpāyana
Y
Yudhiṣṭhira
D
Dhanaṃjaya (Arjuna)
K
kings (rājānaḥ)
A
Aśvamedha (horse-sacrifice/royal rite)
Character Dynamics
Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)
War Context
Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)
Philosophical Teaching
Political Layer
Meter (Chandas)
Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

Even after a devastating war, righteous rule requires restraint: enemies are not to be hunted down, but invited into a renewed moral and political order. The Aśvamedha here becomes a means of consolidating sovereignty through consent, hospitality, and dharmic legitimacy rather than violence.

As a mission is being undertaken (with the speaker departing), Yudhiṣṭhira gives instructions to Arjuna: do not kill the regional kings; instead, inform them to come with their allies and well-wishers to participate in and enjoy Yudhiṣṭhira’s Aśvamedha festivities.

←Previous Verse
Next Verse→