Shloka 52
समन्तपञ्चक-आख्यानम् तथा अक्षौहिणी-प्रमाणनिर्णयः
Samantapañcaka Narrative and the Measure of an Akṣauhiṇī
तीर्थयात्रा ततः पर्व कुरुराजस्य धीमतः । जटासुरवध: पर्व यक्षयुद्धमत: परम्,तदनन्तर बुद्धिमान् कुरुराजका तीर्थयात्रापर्व, जटासुरवधपर्व और उसके बाद यक्षयुद्धपर्व है
tīrthayātrā tataḥ parva kururājasya dhīmataḥ | jaṭāsuravadhaḥ parva yakṣayuddham ataḥ param |
Next comes the section describing the pilgrimage of the wise king of the Kurus; after that is the section on the slaying of Jaṭāsura; and thereafter follows the section on the battle with the Yakṣas. The sequence highlights how righteous kingship is tested not only in war but also through sacred travel, protection of companions, and encounters with beings beyond the human realm.
राम उवाच
Educational Q&A
Dharma is shown as multi-dimensional: a ruler’s virtue is expressed through reverence for sacred places (tīrthayātrā), courage and responsibility in protecting others (jaṭāsuravadha), and steadiness when confronted by powerful non-human forces (yakṣayuddha).
This verse functions as a table-of-contents marker, listing the next sections in sequence: the Kuru king’s pilgrimage, the episode of Jaṭāsura’s slaying, and then the battle involving Yakṣas.