Shloka 44

Devanagari script

दीक्षित: स तु धर्मात्मा धर्मराजो युधिष्ठिर: । जगाम यज्ञायतनं वृतो विप्रै: सहस्रश:,यज्ञकी दीक्षा लेकर धर्मात्मा धर्मराज युधिष्ठिर सहसौ्रों ब्राह्मणोंसे घिरे हुए यज्ञमण्डपमें गये

Transliteration

dīkṣitaḥ sa tu dharmātmā dharmarājo yudhiṣṭhiraḥ | jagāma yajñāyatanaṃ vṛto vipraiḥ sahasraśaḥ ||

Translation

Having undertaken the consecratory vow for the sacrifice, the righteous-souled Yudhiṣṭhira—king devoted to dharma—proceeded to the sacrificial enclosure, surrounded by thousands of brāhmaṇas.

Word by Word

दीक्षितःinitiated (having taken consecration)

सःhe

तुbut/indeed

धर्मात्माrighteous-souled one

धर्मराजःking of dharma (Dharmaraja)

युधिष्ठिरःYudhishthira

जगामwent

यज्ञायतनम्sacrificial enclosure/altar-ground

वृतःsurrounded/attended

विप्रैःby Brahmins

सहस्रशःin thousands / by the thousand

सहtogether with

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Yudhiṣṭhira (Dharmarāja)

brāhmaṇas (vipras)

yajñāyatana (sacrificial enclosure)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

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 highlights dharmic kingship: a ruler’s public acts—especially major rites like yajña—should be grounded in self-discipline (dīkṣā), moral intent (dharmātmā), and the counsel/presence of learned brāhmaṇas, signaling legitimacy through adherence to sacred and ethical order.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana narrates that Yudhiṣṭhira, having taken the formal consecration for a sacrifice, goes to the sacrificial enclosure accompanied by thousands of brāhmaṇas, indicating the commencement or solemn progression of a major ritual event.