Shloka 53
Adhyāya 31: Rājasūya-samāgama — The Gathering of Kings and the Ordering of Hospitality
न चैनमत्यगाद् वदल्निवेलामिव महोदधि: । तमुपेत्य शनैर्वद्विरुवाच कुरुनन्दनम्
na cainam atyagād vadal-nivelām iva mahodadhiḥ | tam upetya śanair vadīr uvāca kuru-nandanam | “kauravya! uttiṣṭha, uttiṣṭha; mayā eṣā tava parīkṣā kṛtā | tava ca dharmaputrasya yudhiṣṭhirasya ca samagraṃ abhiprāyaṃ ahaṃ jānāmi” ||
And he did not overstep him—just as the great ocean does not transgress its shoreline. Approaching him slowly, the speaker addressed Sahadeva, the delight of the Kurus, with words of reassurance: “O Kaurava, rise—rise! I have tested you. I know fully the intention and inner resolve of you and of Dharmaputra Yudhiṣṭhira.”
सहदेव उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights maryādā (respect for boundaries) and ethical restraint: even a powerful being is praised for not overstepping rightful limits, and true judgment considers inner intention (abhiprāya), not merely outward action.
Agnideva, after not crossing beyond Sahadeva (likened to the ocean not crossing its shore), approaches him gently, comforts him, and reveals that the encounter was a deliberate test; he affirms that he understands Sahadeva’s and Yudhiṣṭhira’s full intention.