Shloka 26
राजपूजाविधानम् / Royal Reception Protocols during Āśvamedha Preparations
नाषडडज्विदत्रासीत् सदस्यस्तस्य धीमत: । नाव्रतो नानुपाध्यायो न च वादाविचक्षण:
Vaiśampāyana uvāca |
nāṣaḍaṅgavid atrāsīt sadasyas tasya dhīmataḥ |
nāvrato nānupādhyāyo na ca vādāvicakṣaṇaḥ ||
Dijo Vaiśampāyana: En la asamblea sacrificial de aquel rey sabio no había un solo miembro que no dominara las seis disciplinas auxiliares del Veda; ninguno carecía de votos y disciplina; ninguno era inhábil en la enseñanza; y ninguno era torpe en el debate. Así, el rito de Yudhiṣṭhira se sostuvo en oficiantes eruditos, dueños de sí y competentes: un ideal ético de ritual fundado en el saber y la conducta.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Ritual and public religious acts should be supported by integrity and competence: learning (mastery of Vedāṅgas), self-restraint (vrata), the ability to teach, and clarity in debate. Dharma is presented as a union of knowledge and conduct, not mere ceremony.
During Yudhiṣṭhira’s Aśvamedha-related proceedings, the narrator emphasizes the exceptional quality of the sacrificial assembly: every participant is portrayed as fully qualified—learned in Vedic auxiliaries, disciplined in vows, capable as an instructor, and adept in disputation.