Shloka 8

युधिष्ठिरस्य राज्याभिषेकः | Yudhiṣṭhira’s Royal Consecration

Devanagari script

ततः प्रकृतय: सर्वा: पुरस्कृत्य पुरोहितम्‌ । ददृशुर्धर्मराजानमादाय बहुमड्गलम्‌,इसके बाद मन्त्री, सेनापति आदि सभी प्रकृतियोंने पुरोहितको आगे करके बहुत-सी माड़लिक सामग्री साथ लिये धर्मराज युधिष्ठिरका दर्शन किया

Transliteration

tataḥ prakṛtayaḥ sarvāḥ puraskṛtya purohitam | dadṛśur dharmarājānam ādāya bahumaṅgalam ||

Translation

Then all the king’s principal officers and constituents of the realm—placing the royal priest at their head—went to see Dharmarāja Yudhiṣṭhira, carrying with them many auspicious offerings.

Word by Word

ततःthen, thereafter

प्रकृतयःthe ministers/constituents of the state (officials)

सर्वाःall

पुरस्कृत्यhaving placed in front / having put forward

पुरोहितम्the priest, chaplain

ददृशुःthey saw

धर्मराजानम्Dharmaraja (Yudhishthira)

आदायhaving taken, carrying

बहुmuch, many

मङ्गलम्auspicious articles/offerings

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Dharmarāja (Yudhiṣṭhira)

purohita (royal priest)

prakṛtayaḥ (state officials/constituents)

bahumaṅgala (auspicious offerings)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Legitimate rule is grounded in dharma and is affirmed through both civic order (the prakṛtayaḥ, i.e., the polity) and sacred counsel (the purohita). The approach with auspicious offerings symbolizes consent, reconciliation, and the re-establishment of righteous governance.

What is happening in the narrative?

After the preceding events, the leading constituents of the kingdom—ministers, commanders, and other representatives—come together, place the royal priest in front, and go to meet Yudhiṣṭhira, bringing auspicious items as a respectful and ritually proper audience.