Shloka 51
Adhyāya 31: Rājasūya-samāgama — The Gathering of Kings and the Ordering of Hospitality
एवमुकक्त्वा तु माद्रेय: कुशैरास्तीर्य मेदिनीम्,भारत! ऐसा कहकर नरश्रेष्ठ माद्रीकुमार सहदेव धरतीपर कुश बिछाकर अपनी भयभीत और उद्विग्न सेनाके अग्रभागमें विधिपूर्वक अग्निके सम्मुख धरना देकर बैठ गये
evam uktvā tu mādreyaḥ kuśair āstīrya medinīm, bhārata!
Having spoken thus, Sahadeva—the son of Mādrī—spread kuśa grass upon the ground and, O descendant of Bharata, sat down in due ritual order before the sacred fire. The scene marks a deliberate turn from agitation to disciplined observance: even amid fear and unrest, he chooses a dharmic, rule-governed act, grounding the moment in restraint, purity, and reverence for rite.
सहदेव उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights dharmic steadiness: even when circumstances are tense, one should act with restraint and follow proper ritual and ethical order, using disciplined observance to restore clarity and auspiciousness.
After speaking, Sahadeva prepares a ritual seat by spreading kuśa grass on the ground and sits before the sacred fire according to prescribed procedure, signaling the commencement of a formal, sanctified action.