Shloka 1736

Śiśupāla’s Protest Against the Arghya to Kṛṣṇa (शिशुपाल-आक्षेपः)

Devanagari script

आज म्मु: पाण्डुपुत्रस्य राजसूयं महाक्रतुम्‌ । ये तथा दूसरे भी बहुत-से-मध्यदेशीय नरेश पाण्डुनन्दन युधिष्ठिरके राजसूय महायज्ञमें सम्मिलित हुए थे

Transliteration

ājammiḥ pāṇḍuputrasya rājasūyaṃ mahākratum | ye tathā dvitīyā api bahavaḥ madhyadeśīyā nareśāḥ pāṇunandana yudhiṣṭhirasya rājasūya-mahāyajñe sammilitā abhavan |

Translation

Vaiśampāyana said: Many kings of the Madhyadeśa, and others besides, assembled to take part in the great Rājasūya sacrifice of Yudhiṣṭhira, the son of Pāṇḍu. Thus the tale shows how a ruler’s legitimacy and moral standing are proclaimed before the world through a solemn rite, upheld by the consent and presence of fellow sovereigns.

Word by Word

• अद्य: today/now
• अद्य: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अद्य

• पाण्डुपुत्रस्य: of the son of Pandu
• पाण्डुपुत्रस्य: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाण्डुपुत्र
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• राजसूयम्: the Rājasūya (royal consecration sacrifice)
• राजसूयम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजसूय
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• महाक्रतुम्: the great sacrifice/rite
• महाक्रतुम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: महाक्रतु
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Yudhiṣṭhira
• Pāṇḍu
• Madhyadeśa
• Rājasūya (sacrifice)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights that righteous kingship is not merely personal power but a publicly recognized moral and political order, affirmed through sacred ritual and the willing participation of other rulers.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana reports that many central-region kings and other rulers gathered to participate in Yudhiṣṭhira’s grand Rājasūya sacrifice, marking his rise to acknowledged imperial status.