Shloka 15

युधिष्ठिरस्य राज्याभिषेकः | Yudhiṣṭhira’s Royal Consecration

Devanagari script

तत उत्थाय दाशार्ह: शंखमादाय पूजितम्‌ । अभ्यषिज्चत्‌ पतिं पृथ्व्या: कुन्तीपुत्रं युधिष्ठिरम्‌

Transliteration

tata utthāya dāśārhaḥ śaṅkham ādāya pūjitam | abhyaṣiñcat patiṃ pṛthvyāḥ kuntīputraṃ yudhiṣṭhiram ||

Translation

Then the Dāśārha rose, took up the honored conch, and performed the consecration—anointing Kuntī’s son Yudhiṣṭhira as lord of the earth. The act signals the restoration of rightful kingship through a ritually sanctioned transfer of authority, emphasizing that sovereignty is to be grounded in dharma rather than mere force.

Word by Word

• ततः: then, thereafter
• ततः: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (तद्-प्रातिपदिकात् अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय

• उत्थाय: having risen
• उत्थाय: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: उत्-स्था (धातु: √स्था)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (absolutive/gerund)

• दाशार्हः: the Dāśārha (Kṛṣṇa)
• दाशार्हः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: दाशार्ह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• शङ्खम्: conch
• शङ्खम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: शङ्ख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• आदाय: having taken
• आदाय: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-दा (धातु: √दा)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (absolutive/gerund)

• पूजितम्: honoured, worshipped
• पूजितम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पूजित (कृदन्त; धातु: √पूज्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (विशेषणम्: शङ्खम्)

• अभ्यषिञ्चत्: anointed
• Type: Verb
• Root: अभि-षिच् (धातु: √षिच्)
• Form: लङ् (अनद्यतनभूत), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• पतिम्: lord, husband (i.e., ruler)
• पतिम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: पति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• पृथ्व्याः: of the earth
• पृथ्व्याः: Sambandha
• Type: Noun
• Root: पृथ्वी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन

• कुन्तीपुत्रम्: Kuntī's son
• कुन्तीपुत्रम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुन्तीपुत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (सम्बोधन/विशेषणरूपेण: युधिष्ठिरम्)

• युधिष्ठिरम्: Yudhiṣṭhira
• युधिष्ठिरम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: युधिष्ठिर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Dāśārha (Kṛṣṇa)
• Śaṅkha (conch)
• Yudhiṣṭhira
• Kuntī
• Pṛthvī (the earth)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Political authority is portrayed as legitimate when it is ritually and ethically grounded: the consecration (abhiṣeka) symbolizes that kingship should serve dharma and the welfare of the realm, not personal power.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana narrates that Kṛṣṇa (called Dāśārha) rises, takes a revered conch used in auspicious rites, and performs the anointing ceremony, consecrating Yudhiṣṭhira as sovereign of the earth.