Shloka 21

Aśvamedha-dīkṣā, Vyāsa’s horse-release, and Arjuna’s departure with Gāṇḍīva (आश्वमेधिक-दीक्षा तथा हय-उत्सर्गः)

Devanagari script

तत्‌ तु सर्व यथान्यायमुक्त: कुरुकुलोदह: । चकार फाल्गुनं चापि संदिदेश हयं प्रति

Transliteration

tattu sarvaṃ yathānyāyam uktaḥ kurukulodvahaḥ | cakāra phālgunaṃ cāpi saṃdideśa hayaṃ prati ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana dijo: Habiendo sido instruido por completo conforme a lo que era debido, Yudhiṣṭhira —el más excelso de la estirpe de los Kuru— llevó a cabo todo de manera justa y apropiada. Luego mandó llamar a Phālguna (Arjuna) y le dio órdenes respecto del caballo, nombrándolo su protector según lo requerido para el rito del Aśvamedha.

Word by Word

• तत्: that (act/thing)
• तत्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• तु: but/indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु

• सर्वम्: all (of it)
• सर्वम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• यथा: as/according to
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा

• न्यायम्: rule/propriety
• न्यायम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: न्याय
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• उक्तः: having been told/when told
• उक्तः: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: क्त, Masculine, Nominative, Singular, Passive (PPP)

• कुरुकुलोद्वहः: the upholder/ornament of the Kuru line (Yudhiṣṭhira)
• कुरुकुलोद्वहः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुरुकुल-उद्वह
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• चकार: did/performed
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ
• Form: Perfect, 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• फाल्गुनम्: Phālguna (Arjuna)
• फाल्गुनम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: फाल्गुन
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• अपि: also
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि

• संदिदेश: commanded/instructed
• Type: Verb
• Root: दिश्
• Form: Perfect, 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• हयम्: the horse
• हयम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: हय
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• प्रति: towards/with regard to
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रति

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Yudhiṣṭhira
• Kuru dynasty
• Phālguna (Arjuna)
• Aśvamedha horse

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse emphasizes yathā-nyāya—acting in accordance with what is proper and lawful. Even after war, royal action is framed by dharma and ritual order: the king fulfills prescribed duties carefully and delegates responsibility to a qualified protector.

What is happening in the narrative?

After receiving proper instructions (implicitly from elders/counsel), Yudhiṣṭhira completes the necessary arrangements and then calls Arjuna (Phālguna), assigning him the task of guarding and managing matters related to the sacrificial horse of the Aśvamedha.