Shloka 19
Āśvamedha-dīkṣā-nirdeśaḥ — Scheduling the Initiation and Assigning Protection for the Horse
देवकी सुप्रजा देवी त्वया पुरुषसत्तम । यद् ब्रूयां त्वां महाबाहो तत् कृथास्त्वमिहाच्युत,“पुरुषोत्तम! महाबाहु अच्युत! आपको ही पाकर देवकीदेवी उत्तम संतानवाली मानी गयी हैं। मैं आपसे जो कुछ कहूँ, उसे आप यहाँ सम्पन्न करें
devakī suprajā devī tvayā puruṣasattama | yad brūyāṃ tvāṃ mahābāho tat kṛthās tvam ihācyuta ||
Vaiśaṃpāyana said: “O best of men! By having you as her son, the goddess Devakī is truly counted as blessed with excellent offspring. O mighty-armed Acyuta, whatever I am about to request of you—please accomplish it here.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights reverence for divine virtue and the idea that true ‘noble progeny’ is measured by dharmic excellence: Devakī is called suprajā because her son is Kṛṣṇa, the ideal of steadfastness and righteousness. It also models respectful petition—addressing a superior with honor and asking for action aligned with dharma.
Vaiśaṃpāyana, narrating the events, praises Kṛṣṇa with epithets (Puruṣasattama, Mahābāhu, Acyuta) and prefaces a request: he signals that he is about to ask Kṛṣṇa to carry out something ‘here’ in the present situation, framing the request through honor and acknowledgment of Kṛṣṇa’s exceptional status.