Shloka 13

राजपूजाविधानम् / Royal Reception Protocols during Āśvamedha Preparations

Devanagari script

अहीनो नाम राजेन्द्र क्रतुस्तेडयं च कल्पताम्‌ । बहुत्वात्‌ काज्चनाख्यस्य ख्यातो बहुसुवर्णक:

Transliteration

Vaiśampāyana uvāca: ahīno nāma rājendra kratus te ’yaṃ ca kalpatām | bahutvāt kāñcanākhyasya khyāto bahusuvarṇakaḥ ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana said: “O king, let this sacrifice of yours be duly accomplished as one that is ‘Ahīna’—lacking in no limb or requirement. And because of the abundance of gold (kāñcana) employed in it, it will be renowned by the name ‘Bahusuvarṇaka’, the sacrifice rich in gold.”

Word by Word

• {'Vaiśampāyana uvāca': 'Vaiśampāyana said', 'ahīnaḥ': 'not deficient

• without omission', 'nāma': 'by name

• called', 'rājendra': 'O best of kings', 'kratuḥ': 'Vedic sacrifice

• solemn rite', 'te': 'your', 'ayam': 'this', 'kalpatām': 'let it be properly arranged/fulfilled

• let it come to completion according to rule', 'bahutvāt': 'because of abundance

• due to great quantity', 'kāñcana-ākhyasya': 'of that which is called gold

• of gold (as the named substance)', 'khyātaḥ': 'renowned

• celebrated', 'bahu-suvarṇakaḥ': 'having much gold

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• rājendra (the king addressed)
• kratu (the sacrifice/yajña)
• kāñcana (gold)
• suvarṇa (gold)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse emphasizes ritual integrity (no omission in prescribed limbs of a sacrifice) and the ethical dimension of royal rites: abundance of resources—here, gold—signals generosity and public renown, but the primary standard is completeness according to dharma and rule.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana describes the king’s sacrifice as being arranged to be fully complete (‘Ahīna’) and notes that, due to the great quantity of gold used or distributed, it will become famous under the epithet ‘Bahusuvarṇaka’ (“rich in gold”).