Shloka 19
पाण्डव-वृष्णि-समागमः तथा अश्वमेध-अनुज्ञा | Reunion at the Kuru Court and Authorization of the Aśvamedha
आसीदू् वैश्रवणस्येव निवासस्तत्पुरं तदा । वन्दिभिश्न नरै राजन् स्त्रीसहायैश्व सर्वश:
āsīd vaiśravaṇasyeva nivāsas tat-puraṁ tadā | vandibhiś ca naraiḥ rājan strī-sahāyaiś ca sarvaśaḥ | adarśayann iva tadā kurūn vai dakṣiṇottarān ||
Vaiśampāyana dit : En ce temps-là, la ville semblait être la demeure même de Vaiśravaṇa (Kubera), splendide et prospère. Ô Roi, dans des lieux retirés tout autour se tenaient des bardes et des serviteurs, accompagnés de femmes, rehaussant la beauté de la capitale. Puis, lorsque le vent fit frémir les étendards dans toute la cité, on eût dit que la ville elle-même montrait la gloire des Kuru — du Sud comme du Nord — par le battement de ses bannières.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical ideal of a well-ordered kingdom: prosperity, public harmony, and cultural refinement (bards, orderly celebration) are presented as signs of good governance and collective dignity, where the realm’s identity is upheld without violence—through beauty, ceremony, and social cohesion.
The narrator describes a city at a festive moment, comparing it to Kubera’s splendid residence. Bards and people stand throughout the city, and wind-driven banners flutter everywhere, making it seem as if the city is showcasing the grandeur of the Kuru domains—both southern and northern.