Shloka 9
Yuddha-yajña-vyākhyāna (The Battle as Sacrifice): Ambarīṣa–Indra Saṃvāda
क्षत्रधर्मे स्थितो भूत्वा यथाशास्त्रं यथाविधि । उदीक्षमाण: पृतनां जयामि युधि वासव,देवेन्द्र! मैं शास्त्रोक्त विधिके अनुसार क्षत्रिय-धर्ममें स्थित होकर सेनाकी देख-भाल करता और युद्धमें शत्रुओंपर विजय पाता था
kṣatradharme sthito bhūtvā yathāśāstraṃ yathāvidhi | udīkṣamāṇaḥ pṛtanāṃ jayāmi yudhi vāsava deveśa ||
Ambarīṣa said: “Established in the warrior’s dharma, and acting in accordance with the śāstras and the prescribed rites, I would oversee the army and, in battle, win victory over my foes—O Vāsava, lord of the gods.”
अमग्बरीष उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames military success as legitimate only when rooted in kṣatriya-dharma and regulated by śāstric norms—victory is presented as the outcome of disciplined duty performed ‘according to scripture and proper procedure,’ not mere aggression.
Ambarīṣa addresses Indra (Vāsava), describing his own conduct as a ruler-warrior: he remained established in kṣatriya duty, supervised his forces, and achieved victory in battle while adhering to prescribed rules.