Shloka 21

कुरुसभायां केशवागमन-सत्कारविधानम् / Preparations to Honor Keśava at the Kuru Court

Devanagari script

अवतीर्य रथात्‌ तूर्ण कृत्वा शौच॑ यथाविधि । रथमोचनमादिश्य संध्यामुपविवेश ह

Transliteration

avaīrya rathāt tūrṇaṁ kr̥tvā śaucaṁ yathāvidhi | rathamocanam ādiśya sandhyām upaviveśa ha ||

Translation

Vaiśaṃpāyana said: Having quickly descended from the chariot, he performed the prescribed acts of purification in the proper manner. After instructing that the chariot be unyoked, he sat down to observe the twilight worship (sandhyā).

Word by Word

• अवतीर्य: having descended
• Type: Verb
• Root: अव-तॄ (धातु)
• Form: ल्यप् (क्त्वान्त अव्यय), कर्तरि, पूर्वकाले (absolutive)

• रथात्: from the chariot
• रथात्: अपादान
• Type: Noun
• Root: रथ
• Form: पुं, पञ्चमी, एकवचन

• तूर्णम्: quickly
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तूर्ण

• कृत्वा: having done
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा (क्त्वान्त अव्यय), कर्तरि, पूर्वकाले (absolutive)

• शौचम्: purification/cleanliness (ritual cleansing)
• शौचम्: कर्म
• Type: Noun
• Root: शौच
• Form: नपुं, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• यथा-विधि: according to rule
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा + विधि

• रथ-मोचनम्: unharnessing/releasing of the chariot (horses/gear)
• रथ-मोचनम्: कर्म
• Type: Noun
• Root: रथ + मोचन
• Form: नपुं, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• आदिश्य: having instructed/ordered
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-दिś् (धातु)
• Form: ल्यप् (क्त्वान्त अव्यय), कर्तरि, पूर्वकाले (absolutive)

• सन्ध्याम्: the twilight worship (sandhyā)
• सन्ध्याम्: कर्म
• Type: Noun
• Root: सन्ध्या
• Form: स्त्री, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• उपविवेश: sat down (to perform)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप-विश् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परस्मैपद), भूतार्थे (perfect used as past narrative), प्रथम, एकवचन

• ह: indeed/for emphasis
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ह

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• ratha (chariot)
• sandhyā (twilight worship)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse underscores steadiness in dharma: even when major political and military decisions loom, one should not abandon prescribed discipline, purity, and reverence. Ethical strength is shown through self-regulation and faithful observance of duties at the proper time.

What is happening in the narrative?

The narrator describes a pause in travel: the personage (contextually Kṛṣṇa in the surrounding passage) quickly gets down from the chariot, performs the required purification, orders the chariot to be unyoked, and then sits to perform the Sandhyā (twilight) worship.