Shloka 31
Go-dāna-stuti and Ghṛta-Japa
Praise of cow-gift and ghee-centered recitation
नरपतिरभवत् सदैवताभ्य: प्रयतमनास्त्वभिसंस्तुवंश्ष ता: सम । न च धुरि नृप गामयुक्त भूय- स्तुरगवरैरगमच्च यत्र तत्र
narapatir abhavat sadaivatābhyaḥ prayatamanās tv abhisamstuvanṣ tāḥ samaḥ | na ca dhuri nṛpa gāmayukta-bhūyas turagavarair agamac ca yatra tatra ||
Vaiśampāyana said: The king became ever devoted to the gods, steady-minded and disciplined, offering them fitting praise with an even and composed spirit. He did not remain bound to the yoke of worldly burdens; rather, drawn by excellent horses, he moved freely from place to place—acting with reverence and self-restraint, not with pride or compulsion.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
A ruler’s excellence is shown by disciplined mind (prayata-manāḥ), devotion to the divine (daivatābhyaḥ), and equanimity (samaḥ). Praise and worship should be performed with steadiness and humility, not driven by ego or restlessness.
Vaiśampāyana describes a king who becomes consistently devout and self-controlled, offering proper praise to the gods. The verse also paints a vivid image of his movement—no longer constrained like a slow, yoked conveyance, he travels about with fine horses, suggesting renewed vigor and purposeful conduct.