Shloka 5

Devanagari script

अध्येतारं पर वेदान्‌ प्रयोक्तारं महाध्वरे । रक्षितारं शुभालल्‍लोकान्‌ लेभिरे तं जनाधिपम्‌,प्रजाने महाराज युधिष्ठिरके रूपमें ऐसा राजा पाया था, जो परम ब्रह्म परमात्माका चिन्तन करनेवाला, बड़े-बड़े यज्ञोंमें वेदोंका उपयोग करनेवाला और शुभ लोकोंके संरक्षणमें तत्पर रहनेवाला था

Transliteration

adhyetāraṃ para-vedān prayoktāraṃ mahādhvare | rakṣitāraṃ śubhāṃl lokān lebhire taṃ janādhipam ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana dit : Le peuple obtint pour roi ce seigneur des hommes—celui qui avait maîtrisé les Veda suprêmes, qui savait mettre en œuvre la parole védique dans les grands sacrifices, et qui demeurait sans cesse attentif à la sauvegarde des mondes auspices. Ainsi, ô roi, en la personne même de Yudhiṣṭhira, ils trouvèrent un souverain voué à la contemplation du Suprême et à la protection de l’ordre juste.

Word by Word

अध्येतारम्a learner/reciter (of the Vedas)

परम्supreme, excellent

वेदान्the Vedas

प्रयोक्तारम्one who employs/applies (them)

महाध्वरेin the great sacrifice

रक्षितारम्a protector

शुभान्auspicious

लोकान्worlds/realms

लेभिरेthey obtained/found

तम्that (him)

जनाधिपम्lord of the people, king

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Yudhiṣṭhira

Veda

mahādhvara (great sacrifice)

śubha-loka (auspicious worlds)

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse presents the ethical ideal of kingship: a ruler should unite Vedic learning with correct ritual application and, above all, protect the auspicious order of the world (dharma). Knowledge is not merely theoretical; it must be responsibly enacted and oriented toward the welfare and safeguarding of society and cosmic order.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana is describing how the people came to have Yudhiṣṭhira as their king, praising him as a master of sacred learning, competent in conducting great sacrifices, and committed to protecting auspicious realms—thereby portraying him as a model sovereign.