Shloka 12

Adhyāya 42 (Śānti Parva): Śrāddha, Aurdhvadaihika Rites, and Royal Welfare Measures

Devanagari script

स विजित्य महीं कृत्स्नामानृण्यं प्राप्य वैरिषु । नि:ःसपत्न: सुखी राजा विजहार युधिष्ठिर:

Transliteration

sa vijitya mahīṁ kṛtsnām ānṛṇyaṁ prāpya vairiṣu | niḥsapatnaḥ sukhī rājā vijahāra yudhiṣṭhiraḥ ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana sprach: Nachdem er die ganze Erde bezwungen und seine Verpflichtungen gegenüber den Feinden beglichen hatte, verbrachte König Yudhiṣṭhira — nun ohne Rivalen und in innerer Ruhe — seine Zeit in friedvollem Genuss. Der Vers rahmt seine Nachkriegsherrschaft nicht als bloße Macht, sondern als einen Zustand, der nach dem Ausgleich aller Rechnungen und der Wiederherstellung des moralischen Gleichgewichts erreicht wurde.

Word by Word

सःhe

विजित्यhaving conquered

महीम्the earth

कृत्स्नाम्entire, whole

आनृण्यम्freedom from debt/obligation

प्राप्यhaving attained

वैरिषुamong enemies / with respect to enemies

वैindeed

निःसपत्नःwithout rivals

सुखीhappy

राजाking

विजहारenjoyed himself / sported

युधिष्ठिरःYudhiṣṭhira

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Yudhiṣṭhira

mahī (the earth/kingdom)

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?

The verse links rightful sovereignty with ethical closure: victory is not complete until one becomes ānṛṇya—free from outstanding obligations and moral debts, even in relation to enemies—so that peace and legitimacy can follow.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana narrates that Yudhiṣṭhira, after securing dominion over the whole realm and settling what was due in the aftermath of conflict, became unrivaled and lived as a contented king in a period of stability.