Shloka 78

युधिष्ठिरस्य अर्जुनप्रेषण-युक्तिवर्णनम् | Yudhiṣṭhira’s Rationale for Sending Arjuna and Request to Dhaumya

Devanagari script

ततो वाराणसी गत्वा अर्चयित्वा वृषध्वजम्‌ । कपिलाहवदे नर: स्नात्वा राजसूयमवाप्रुयात्‌,तदनन्तर वाराणसी (काशी)-तीर्थमें जाकर भगवान्‌ शंकरकी पूजा करे और कपिलाहदमें गोता लगाये; इससे मनुष्यको राजसूययज्ञका फल प्राप्त होता है

Transliteration

tato vārāṇasīṃ gatvā arcayitvā vṛṣadhvajam | kapilāhrade naraḥ snātvā rājasūyam avāpnuyāt ||

Translation

Luego, yendo a Vārāṇasī, debe uno adorar al Señor Śiva, el que lleva por emblema al toro. Tras bañarse allí en el lago Kapilā, se dice que el hombre alcanza el mérito equivalente al sacrificio del Rājasūya.

Word by Word

ततःthen, thereafter

वाराणसीम्to Vārāṇasī (Kāśī)

गत्वाhaving gone

अर्चयित्वाhaving worshipped

वृषध्वजम्Vṛṣadhvaja (Śiva; 'whose banner is the bull')

कपिलाह्रदेin/at Kapilahrada (the Kapila lake/pond)

नरःa man

स्नात्वाhaving bathed

राजसूयम्Rājasūya (sacrifice)

अवाप्नुयात्would obtain / may obtain

Speaker

घुलस्त्य उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vārāṇasī (Kāśī)

Śiva (Vṛṣadhvaja)

Kapilā-hrada

Rājasūya-yajña

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse emphasizes that devotion to Śiva and disciplined tīrtha-practice (worship and sacred bathing) can yield exalted merit comparable to grand royal sacrifices, highlighting accessible paths of dharma through faith and purity.

What is happening in the narrative?

The speaker describes a specific pilgrimage sequence: go to Vārāṇasī, worship Śiva (Vṛṣadhvaja), and bathe in Kapilā-hrada; the promised result is the merit of the Rājasūya sacrifice.