Shloka 38
अर्जुनस्योत्तरदिग्विजयः
Arjuna’s Northern Conquests and Tribute Collection
ततः सुप्रीतमनसस्ते नृपा नृपसत्तम । तथेत्येवाब्रुवन् सर्वे प्रतिगृह्मास्य तां गिरम्,नृपश्रेष्ठ जनमेजय! तब उन सभी राजाओंने प्रसन्नचित्त हो “तथास्तु' कहकर भगवानकी वह आज्ञा शिरोधार्य कर ली
tataḥ suprītamanasas te nṛpā nṛpasattama | tathetyevābruvan sarve pratigṛhṇāsya tāṃ giram, nṛpaśreṣṭha janamejaya |
Then those kings, their minds filled with gladness, replied, “So be it.” Accepting and taking to heart his command, they all assented—O best of kings, Janamejaya—thus honoring the directive as something to be borne upon the head.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights royal and ethical decorum: when a legitimate directive is given in an assembly, righteous kings respond with glad assent and accept the instruction with reverence, treating it as binding and honorable.
Vaiśampāyana narrates to King Janamejaya that the assembled kings, pleased in mind, collectively replied “tathāstu” (“so be it”) and accepted the spoken command, indicating unanimous compliance.