Anushasana Parva Adhyaya 105 Shloka 41 - Mahabharata | French | Vedapath

Vyasa

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Shloka 41

Gautama–Śakra Saṃvāda: Karma, Loka-bheda, and the Restoration of the Elephant

Devanagari script

धृतराष्ट उवाच ये राजानो राजसूयाभिषिक्ता धर्मात्मानो रक्षितार: प्रजानाम्‌ । ये चाश्वमेधावभथे प्लुतांगा- स्तेषां लोका धृतराष्ट्रो न तत्र

Transliteration

dhṛtarāṣṭra uvāca | ye rājāno rājasūyābhiṣiktā dharmātmāno rakṣitāraḥ prajānām | ye cāśvamedhāvabhṛthe plutāṅgās teṣāṃ lokā dhṛtarāṣṭro na tatra ||

Translation

Dhṛtarāṣṭra dit : «Ô muni, les rois consacrés au Rājasūya, justes d’âme et protecteurs de leurs sujets, et ceux dont les membres sont trempés lors du bain conclusif (avabhṛtha) de l’Aśvamedha—ceux-là atteignent les mondes de Prajāpati. Dhṛtarāṣṭra n’ira pas là-bas.»

Word by Word

धृतराष्ट्रःDhṛtarāṣṭra

उवाचsaid

येwho (those who)

राजानःkings

राजसूयाभिषिक्ताःanointed in the Rājasūya (sacrifice)

धर्मात्मानःrighteous-souled

रक्षितारःprotectors

प्रजानाम्of the subjects/people

येand who (those who)

चand

अश्वमेधावभथेin the Avabhṛtha (final bath) of the Aśvamedha

प्लुताङ्गाःwhose limbs are drenched (after bathing)

तेषाम्of them

लोकाःworlds/realms

धृतराष्ट्रस्यof Dhṛtarāṣṭra

नnot

तत्रthere

Speaker

धृतराष्ट उवाच

Characters & Entities

Dhṛtarāṣṭra

Prajāpati

Rājasūya (sacrifice)

Aśvamedha (sacrifice)

Avabhṛtha (ritual bath)

Character Dynamics

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 links royal dharma—protecting subjects and upholding righteousness—with the highest ritual merits (Rājasūya and Aśvamedha), implying that ethical kingship and sanctioned sacrifice lead to exalted posthumous realms; Dhṛtarāṣṭra laments that such a destiny is not his.

What is happening in the narrative?

Dhṛtarāṣṭra addresses a sage, reflecting on the heavenly attainments of truly righteous, ritually accomplished kings, and expresses his own exclusion from those Prajāpati-worlds—an admission of moral shortfall and its consequences.