Shloka 2

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

Devanagari script

उपयाता नरव्याप्रा य एते पृथिवी श्वरा: । एतेषां क्रियतां पूजा पूजा हि नराधिपा:

Transliteration

upayātā naravyāprā ye ete pṛthivīśvarāḥ | eteṣāṃ kriyatāṃ pūjā pūjā hi narādhipāḥ ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana said: “These kings—lords of the earth—have arrived here, engaged in the duties of men and governance. They are worthy of honor among men; therefore, offer them fitting worship and hospitality, for honoring rulers and guests is itself a rightful act.”

Word by Word

• उपयाताः: arrived, come near
• उपयाताः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उप-या (धातु) → उपयात (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• नरव्याप्राः: busy/engaged with men (i.e., attended by men)
• नरव्याप्राः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नर + व्याप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• ये: who, those who
• ये: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• एते: these
• एते: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• पृथिवीश्वराः: lords of the earth, kings
• पृथिवीश्वराः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पृथिवी + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• एतेषाम्: of these / for these
• एतेषाम्: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Plural

• क्रियताम्: let (it) be done; should be performed
• क्रियताम्: Karma
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: Imperative (Vidhi-ling), 3rd, Singular, Passive (Karmani)

• पूजा: worship, honoring
• पूजा: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पूजा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• पूजा: worship, honoring
• पूजा: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पूजा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• हि: indeed, for
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि

• नराधिपाः: kings, rulers of men
• नराधिपाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर + अधिप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• pṛthivīśvarāḥ (kings, lords of the earth)
• narādhipāḥ (rulers of men)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse emphasizes dharma expressed as proper honor and hospitality: those who arrive—especially kings and eminent persons—should be received with fitting respect, because honoring worthy guests and leaders sustains social order and ethical conduct.

What is happening in the narrative?

The narrator Vaiśampāyana notes that many kings have arrived and instructs that they should be duly welcomed and honored with appropriate ceremonial reception (pūjā/satkāra).