Shloka 42
अर्जुनदुःखहेतुप्रश्नः — Inquiry into the cause of Arjuna’s recurring hardship
Book 14, Chapter 89
मत्तप्रमत्तमुदितं सुप्रीतयुवतीजनम् । मृदज्रशड्खनादैश्व मनोरमम भूत् तदा
matta-pramattam uditaṁ suprīta-yuvatī-janam | mṛdaṅga-śaṅkha-nādaiś ca manoramaṁ abhūt tadā ||
Vaiśampāyana dit : En ce temps-là, tous ceux qui étaient entrés dans l’enceinte sacrificielle étaient transportés—presque ivres de joie—et l’âme exaltée. Des groupes de jeunes femmes y circulaient avec un grand ravissement. Et, au son retentissant des tambours et des conques, la beauté et le charme de fête de la salle du yajña devinrent plus envoûtants encore.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how a properly conducted sacred rite creates an atmosphere of collective uplift—joy expressed through orderly festivity (music, movement, communal participation) within a consecrated space. It suggests that celebration can be ethically aligned when it supports a dharmic ritual context rather than mere indulgence.
During the Aśvamedha sacrifice, the sacrificial enclosure is filled with people who are jubilant and absorbed in the festive mood. Young women move about happily, and the sounds of drums and conches intensify the grandeur and charm of the yajña-hall.