Shloka 6
Araṇi Lost to the Deer: Pāṇḍavas Pursue to Preserve Agnihotra (अरणी-हरण प्रसङ्गः)
यज्वा दानपतिर्दक्ष: पौरजानपदप्रिय: । पार्थिवो5श्वपतिर्नाम सर्वभूतहिते रत:,वे यज्ञ करनेवाले, दानाध्यक्ष, कार्यकुशल, नगर और जनपदके लोगोंके परम प्रिय तथा सम्पूर्ण भूतोंके हितमें तत्पर रहनेवाले भूपाल थे। उनका नाम अश्विपति था
yajvā dānapatir dakṣaḥ paurajānapaḍapriyaḥ | pārthivo 'śvapatir nāma sarvabhūtahite rataḥ ||
Yudhiṣṭhira said: “There was a king named Aśvapati—one who had performed sacrifices, who presided over gifts and charity, who was capable in action, dearly loved by the townspeople and the inhabitants of the countryside, and who was devoted to the welfare of all living beings.”
युधिछिर उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse sketches the ethical ideal of a ruler: legitimacy is shown not merely by power but by sacrificial responsibility (yajña), generous stewardship of wealth (dāna), administrative competence (dakṣatā), popularity grounded in just conduct, and an active commitment to the welfare of all beings (sarvabhūta-hita).
Yudhiṣṭhira introduces a king named Aśvapati by listing his virtues—his sacrificial life, generosity, capability, and the affection he earned from both city and countryside—setting up a moral portrait that frames the ensuing story or exemplum.