Shloka 1

Devanagari script

पम्प छा अर: एकोननवतितमो< ध्याय: युधिष्ठिरका ब्राह्मणोंको दक्षिणा देना और राजाओंको भेंट देकर विदा करना वैशम्पायन उवाच श्रपयित्वा पशूनन्यान्‌ विधिवद्‌ द्विजसत्तमा: । त॑ तुरडूं यथाशास्त्रमालभन्त द्विजातय:,वैशम्पायनजी कहते हैं--जनमेजय! उन श्रेष्ठ ब्राह्मणोंने अन्यान्य पशुओंका विधिपूर्वक श्रपण करके उस अश्वका भी शास्त्रीय विधिके अनुसार आलभन किया

Transliteration

Vaiśampāyana uvāca: śrapayitvā paśūn anyān vidhivad dvijasattamāḥ | taṁ turaṅgaṁ yathāśāstram ālabhanta dvijātayaḥ ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana said: “O Janamejaya, those foremost Brāhmaṇas, having duly prepared the other sacrificial animals according to rule, then performed the prescribed ritual act upon that horse as well, exactly as the śāstra enjoins.”

Word by Word

श्रपयित्वाhaving cooked/boiled (as per rite)

पशून्animals

अन्यान्other

विधिवत्according to rule/rite

द्विजसत्तमाःthe best of the twice-born (brahmins)

तेthey

तुरङ्गम्the horse

यथाas/according as

शास्त्रम्the scripture/ritual injunction

आलभन्तthey touched/handled (ritually), performed the ālambhana

द्विजातयःthe twice-born (brahmins)

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Janamejaya

Brāhmaṇas (dvijas)

horse (aśva/turaṅga)

sacrificial animals (paśu)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse emphasizes fidelity to dharma through strict adherence to śāstric procedure: even royal power is framed as legitimate only when guided by properly performed Vedic rites under qualified Brāhmaṇas.

What is happening in the narrative?

During Yudhiṣṭhira’s Aśvamedha context, the officiating Brāhmaṇas proceed with the sacrificial sequence—after duly preparing other animals, they carry out the prescribed ritual act for the sacrificial horse as well.