Shloka 8
अश्वमेध-उपदेशः तथा मरुत्त-यज्ञ-धन-प्रसङ्गः
Counsel on Aśvamedha and the Marutta-treasure episode
राजसूयाश्बदमेधौ च सर्वमेधं च भारत । नरमेधं च नृपते त्वमाहर युधिष्ठिर,भरतवंशी नरेश युधिष्ठछिर! तुम राजसूय, अश्वमेध, सर्वमेध और नरमेध यज्ञ करो
rājasūyāśvamedhau ca sarvamedhaṃ ca bhārata | naramedhaṃ ca nṛpate tvam āhara yudhiṣṭhira ||
Vyāsa said: “O Bhārata, O king Yudhiṣṭhira, undertake the great sacrifices—Rājasūya and Aśvamedha, as well as Sarvamedha and Naramedha.”
व्यास उवाच
Educational Q&A
Royal power should be re-grounded in dharma: sovereignty is legitimized through disciplined, welfare-oriented ritual action and responsibility to the people, not through conquest alone.
Vyāsa addresses King Yudhiṣṭhira and urges him to undertake major śrauta sacrifices—especially those associated with imperial authority—signaling the re-establishment of righteous rule and social order after the war.