Shloka 32
दानपात्रापात्र-निर्णयः / Determining Worthy Gifts, Recipients, and Permissible Food
ततो नवं रथं शुभ्रं कम्बलाजिनसंवृतम् । युक्ते षोडशभिगोंभि: पाण्डुरै: शुभलक्षणै:
tato navaṁ rathaṁ śubhraṁ kambalājinasaṁvṛtam | yukte ṣoḍaśabhir gobhiḥ pāṇḍuraiḥ śubhalakṣaṇaiḥ |
Then there was brought a new, radiant chariot, covered with blankets and deer-hide, yoked with sixteen white oxen bearing auspicious marks. Set within Yudhiṣṭhira’s dharmic entry and his public honouring of gods and brāhmaṇas, the verse stresses a king’s duty to uphold dharma through reverence, purity, and orderly royal conduct, even after war.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights dhārmic kingship expressed through auspicious, ritually proper public conduct: the ruler’s legitimacy is shown not merely by power but by reverence, purity, and adherence to auspicious norms that reassure society after upheaval.
After the preceding acts of honor and worship associated with Yudhiṣṭhira’s entry, a new shining chariot—covered with blankets and deer-skin and yoked with sixteen auspicious white oxen—is prepared for the royal ride, signaling a formal, auspicious procession.