Shloka 36
राजपूजाविधानम् / Royal Reception Protocols during Āśvamedha Preparations
स यज्ञ: शुशुभे तस्य साक्षाद् देवर्षिसंकुल: । गन्धर्वगणसंगीत: प्रनृत्तो5प्सरसां गणै:
sa yajñaḥ śuśubhe tasya sākṣād devarṣi-saṅkulaḥ | gandharva-gaṇa-saṅgītaḥ pranṛtto ’psarasāṃ gaṇaiḥ ||
Vaiśaṃpāyana said: That sacrifice of his shone with splendor, as though visibly filled with hosts of divine seers. Its magnificence was further heightened by the sweet music of the Gandharva companies and by the dancing performed by the bands of Apsarases—signs that the rite was being conducted in harmony with sacred order and worthy kingship.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
A righteous royal sacrifice is portrayed as gaining legitimacy and radiance when it aligns with dharma and proper ritual order; the presence (or vivid depiction) of divine seers, Gandharva music, and Apsara dance symbolizes cosmic approval and the ethical fitness of the king’s public act.
Vaiśaṃpāyana describes the splendor of Yudhiṣṭhira’s sacrifice: it appears thronged with divine sages, accompanied by Gandharva musical performances and Apsarases dancing, thereby intensifying the grandeur and auspicious atmosphere of the rite.