Shloka 17

Āśvamedha-dīkṣā-nirdeśaḥ — Scheduling the Initiation and Assigning Protection for the Horse

Devanagari script

वैशम्पायन उवाच इत्युक्त: स तु धर्मात्मा कुरुराजो युधिष्ठिर: । अश्वमेधस्य कौरव्य चकाराहरणे मतिम्‌,वैशम्पायनजी कहते हैं--कुरुनन्दन! व्यासजीके ऐसा कहनेपर धर्मात्मा कुरुराज युधिष्ठिरने अश्वमेधयज्ञ आरम्भ करनेका विचार किया

Transliteration

vaiśampāyana uvāca | ity uktaḥ sa tu dharmātmā kururājo yudhiṣṭhiraḥ | aśvamedhasya kauravya cakārāharaṇe matim |

Translation

Dijo Vaiśampāyana: Dicho esto, el justo Yudhiṣṭhira, rey de los Kurus—oh descendiente de Kuru—resolvió emprender el sacrificio del Aśvamedha y volvió su mente a los preparativos necesarios para él.

Word by Word

वैशम्पायनःVaiśampāyana

उवाचsaid

इतिthus

उक्तःhaving been spoken to / addressed

सःhe

तुbut/indeed

धर्मात्माrighteous-souled

कुरुराजःking of the Kurus

युधिष्ठिरःYudhiṣṭhira

अश्वमेधस्यof the Aśvamedha (horse-sacrifice)

कौरव्यO descendant of Kuru

चकारmade / formed

आहरणेin bringing (it) / in the act of fetching

मतिम्intention / resolve

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Yudhiṣṭhira

Kuru dynasty

Aśvamedha (horse sacrifice)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even after catastrophic conflict, a ruler grounded in dharma seeks legitimacy and social restoration through sanctioned, ethical means—here, by resolving to perform a major Vedic rite rather than pursuing further violence or personal gain.

What is happening in the narrative?

After hearing prior counsel (contextually, guidance from elders such as Vyāsa), Yudhiṣṭhira forms the intention to commence the Aśvamedha and begins directing his mind toward procuring and arranging what the sacrifice requires.