Shloka 11

Āśvamedha-dīkṣā-nirdeśaḥ — Scheduling the Initiation and Assigning Protection for the Horse

Devanagari script

आजगाम महातेजा नगरं नागसाह्दयम्‌ | तस्य सर्वे यथान्यायं पूजांचक्रुः कुरूद्वहा:

Transliteration

ājagāma mahātejā nagaraṃ nāgasāhvayam | tasya sarve yathānyāyaṃ pūjāṃ cakruḥ kurūdvahāḥ |

Translation

Vaiśampāyana dit : Après quelques jours, le sage puissant et rayonnant arriva dans la cité appelée Nāgasāhvaya (Hastināpura). Là, tous les plus éminents des Kuru l’accueillirent et l’honorèrent comme il se doit, selon l’usage et le dharma.

Word by Word

• आजगाम: came, arrived
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-गम् (गच्छति)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत/परफेक्ट), प्रथम, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• महातेजाः: the very radiant one
• महातेजाः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महातेजस्
• Form: पुं, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• नगरम्: city
• नगरम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: नगर
• Form: नपुं, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• नागसाह्वयम्: called ‘Nāga’ (i.e., named Nāgasāhvaya)
• नागसाह्वयम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नागसाह्वय
• Form: नपुं, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• तस्य: of him
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: पुं, षष्ठी, एकवचन

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व
• Form: पुं, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• यथा: as, according to
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा

• न्यायम्: rule, propriety
• Type: Noun
• Root: न्याय
• Form: पुं, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• पूजाम्: honour, worship
• पूजाम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: पूजा
• Form: स्त्री, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• चक्रुः: did, performed
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (करोति)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत/परफेक्ट), प्रथम, बहुवचन, परस्मैपद

• कुरूद्वहाः: best of the Kurus (Kuru-bearers; the Pandavas)
• कुरूद्वहाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुरूद्वह
• Form: पुं, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśaṃpāyana
• Vyāsa (implied by context: Satyavatī-nandana)
• Hastināpura (Nāgasāhvaya)
• Pāṇḍavas (implied by context: 'all the foremost of the Kurus')

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights dharmic etiquette: rulers and householders should honor realized sages properly (yathā-nyāya), showing humility, gratitude, and adherence to established righteous custom.

What is happening in the narrative?

After a short interval, the great sage (understood as Vyāsa) arrives in Hastināpura, and the leading Kuru princes (the Pāṇḍavas) formally receive and worshipfully honor him according to proper protocol.