Shloka 44
Adhyāya 33: Antarvedī-Samāgama, Arghya-Nirṇaya, and Śiśupāla’s Objection
दीक्षित: स तु धर्मात्मा धर्मराजो युधिष्ठिर: । जगाम यज्ञायतनं वृतो विप्रै: सहस्रश:,यज्ञकी दीक्षा लेकर धर्मात्मा धर्मराज युधिष्ठिर सहसौ्रों ब्राह्मणोंसे घिरे हुए यज्ञमण्डपमें गये
dīkṣitaḥ sa tu dharmātmā dharmarājo yudhiṣṭhiraḥ | jagāma yajñāyatanaṃ vṛto vipraiḥ sahasraśaḥ ||
Nachdem er die Weihegelübde für das Opfer auf sich genommen hatte, begab sich der rechtschaffene Yudhiṣṭhira—Dharmarāja, dem Dharma ergebener König—zur Opferstätte, umringt von Tausenden von Brāhmaṇas.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights dharmic kingship: a ruler’s public acts—especially major rites like yajña—should be grounded in self-discipline (dīkṣā), moral intent (dharmātmā), and the counsel/presence of learned brāhmaṇas, signaling legitimacy through adherence to sacred and ethical order.
Vaiśampāyana narrates that Yudhiṣṭhira, having taken the formal consecration for a sacrifice, goes to the sacrificial enclosure accompanied by thousands of brāhmaṇas, indicating the commencement or solemn progression of a major ritual event.