Shloka 3

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

Devanagari script

इत्युक्त: स तथा चक्रे नरेन्द्रेण यशस्विना । भीमसेनो महातेजा यमाभ्यां सह पाण्डव:

Transliteration

ity uktaḥ sa tathā cakre narendreṇa yaśasvinā | bhīmaseno mahātejā yamābhyāṃ saha pāṇḍavaḥ ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana said: Thus instructed by the illustrious king, Bhīmasena—mighty in splendor, the Pāṇḍava—did exactly as commanded. Accompanied by the twin brothers Nakula and Sahadeva, he offered the assembled kings the fitting honors in accordance with Yudhiṣṭhira’s directive, upholding the proper etiquette of righteous rule.

Word by Word

• इति: thus
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति

• उक्तः: having been told/ordered
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: past passive participle (क्त), masculine, nominative, singular

• सः: he
• सः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: masculine, nominative, singular

• तथा: so, in that manner
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा

• चक्रे: did, carried out
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ
• Form: perfect (लिट्), 3rd, singular, ātmanepada

• नरेन्द्रेण: by the king (lord of men)
• नरेन्द्रेण: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: नरेन्द्र
• Form: masculine, instrumental, singular

• यशस्विना: by the glorious/famed (one)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यशस्विन्
• Form: masculine, instrumental, singular

• भीमसेनः: Bhīmasena
• भीमसेनः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: भीमसेन
• Form: masculine, nominative, singular

• महातेजाः: of great splendor/energy
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महातेजस्
• Form: masculine, nominative, singular

• यमाभ्याम्: with the two Yamas (Nakula and Sahadeva)
• यमाभ्याम्: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: यम
• Form: masculine, instrumental, dual

• सह: together with
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सह

• पाण्डवः: the son of Pāṇḍu (Pāṇḍava)
• पाण्डवः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाण्डव
• Form: masculine, nominative, singular

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Bhīmasena (Bhīma)
• Yudhiṣṭhira
• Nakula
• Sahadeva
• kings (rājānaḥ)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Righteous governance expresses itself through proper conduct: carrying out a just ruler’s instructions and honoring guests and allied kings according to established dharma and etiquette.

What is happening in the narrative?

After receiving Yudhiṣṭhira’s order, Bhīma, accompanied by Nakula and Sahadeva, proceeds to welcome and appropriately honor the gathered kings, following the king’s directive.