Shloka 4

Droṇa-parva Adhyāya 58: Yudhiṣṭhira’s dawn rites, royal gifts, and the reception of Kṛṣṇa

Devanagari script

सर्वमूर्धाभिषिक्तानां सम्मत: सो5भवद्‌ युधि । अयजयच्चाश्वमेधैर्यों विजित्य पृथिवीमिमाम्‌

Transliteration

sarvamūrdhābhiṣiktānāṃ sammataḥ so 'bhavad yudhi | ayajayac cāśvamedhair yo vijitya pṛthivīm imām ||

Translation

Nārada sprach: „Im Kampf wurde er von allen geweihten Königen als der Anerkannte und Erwählte gebilligt. Und nachdem er diese Erde bezwungen hatte, ließ er Aśvamedha-Opfer vollziehen.“

Word by Word

सर्वof all

मूर्धाभिषिक्तानाम्of the consecrated kings (anointed rulers)

सम्मतःapproved, accepted

सःhe

अभवत्became, was

युधिin battle

अयजत्sacrificed, performed a sacrifice

चand

अश्वमेधैःwith horse-sacrifices (Aśvamedhas)

यःwho

विजित्यhaving conquered

पृथिवीम्the earth

इमाम्this

Speaker

नारद उवाच

Characters & Entities

Nārada

mūrdhābhiṣikta-kings (crowned kings)

Aśvamedha (Horse-sacrifice)

pṛthivī (the earth)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse links martial supremacy and political consensus (“accepted by all crowned kings”) with ritual validation through the Aśvamedha, showing how power in the epic world is expected to be publicly recognized and then ethically/ritually formalized through sanctioned royal rites.

What is happening in the narrative?

Nārada describes a ruler/hero who, after proving himself in war and gaining the assent of other kings, goes on to establish imperial status by having Aśvamedha sacrifices performed following his conquest of the earth.