Shloka 17

Aśvamedha-saṃbhāra: Return of the Horse, Auspicious Timing, and Construction of the Yajña Enclosure

Devanagari script

कर्तुमहति तद्‌ राजा भवांश्वाप्पनुमन्यताम्‌ । राजद्वेषान्न नश्येयुरिमा राजन्‌ पुनः प्रजा:

Transliteration

vaiśampāyana uvāca | kartum arhati tad rājā bhavān svāpy anumanyatām | rājadveṣān na naśyeyur imā rājan punaḥ prajāḥ |

Translation

Vaiśampāyana said: “The king (Yudhiṣṭhira) ought indeed to do that. You too should grant him your assent, and instruct him thus: ‘O King, let not these subjects be destroyed again because of the mutual hatred of kings.’”

Word by Word

• कर्तुम्: to do
• कर्तुम्: Karma
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (infinitive)

• अर्हति: is fit/ought
• अर्हति: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: अर्ह् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), 3, singular, परस्मैपद

• तत्: that (act/thing)
• तत्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: neuter, accusative, singular

• राजा: the king
• राजा: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: masculine, nominative, singular

• भवान्: you (honorific)
• भवान्: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: भवत् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: masculine, nominative, singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• अपि: also
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि

• अनुमन्यताम्: let (him) permit/approve
• Type: Verb
• Root: अनु + मन् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (imperative), 3, singular, आत्मनेपद

• राजद्वेषात्: from (mutual) hatred among kings
• राजद्वेषात्: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजद्वेष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: masculine, ablative, singular

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• नश्येयुः: might perish
• Type: Verb
• Root: नश् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), 3, plural, परस्मैपद

• इमाः: these
• इमाः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: feminine, nominative, plural

• राजन्: O king
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: masculine, vocative, singular

• पुनः: again
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः

• प्रजाः: subjects/people
• प्रजाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रजा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: feminine, nominative, plural

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Yudhiṣṭhira
• Śrī Kṛṣṇa
• prajāḥ (subjects/people)
• rājānaḥ (kings, as a class)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Rulership must prioritize the protection of the people: political decisions should be guided by consent, restraint, and the prevention of renewed violence arising from inter-kingly enmity.

What is happening in the narrative?

The narrator reports counsel that Yudhiṣṭhira should proceed with a proposed course of action, and that Śrī Kṛṣṇa should endorse it, so that the populace will not suffer another catastrophe caused by rival kings’ hatred.