Shloka 39

Adhyāya 33: Antarvedī-Samāgama, Arghya-Nirṇaya, and Śiśupāla’s Objection

Devanagari script

तत आज्ञापयामास स राजा राजसत्तम: | सहदेवं तदा सद्यो मन्त्रिणं पुरुषर्षभ:

Transliteration

tata ājñāpayāmāsa sa rājā rājasattamaḥ | sahadevaṃ tadā sadyo mantriṇaṃ puruṣarṣabhaḥ ||

Translation

Alors ce roi—le premier des rois, taureau parmi les hommes—commanda sur-le-champ à son ministre Sahadeva. Le juste Yudhiṣṭhira, soucieux de l’ordre et des honneurs dus, ordonna d’envoyer des messagers rapides pour convier les souverains et les brāhmaṇas, afin que le rite royal et le conseil à venir se déroulent selon le dharma et le protocole établi.

Word by Word

• तत्: that (command/act)
• तत्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: neuter, accusative, singular

• आज्ञापयामास: commanded/ordered
• Type: Verb
• Root: आज्ञा + √पय् (causative of √पा/√पि in sense 'to cause to do/command')
• Form: perfect (periphrastic), 3rd, singular, parasmaipada

• सः: he
• सः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: masculine, nominative, singular

• राजा: king
• राजा: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन्
• Form: masculine, nominative, singular

• राजसत्तमः: best of kings
• Type: Adjective
• Root: राजसत्तम
• Form: masculine, nominative, singular

• सहदेवम्: Sahadeva
• सहदेवम्: Karma
• Type: Noun (proper)
• Root: सहदेव
• Form: masculine, accusative, singular

• तदा: then
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा

• सद्यः: immediately
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सद्यः

• मन्त्रिणम्: minister/counsellor
• मन्त्रिणम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्त्रिन्
• Form: masculine, accusative, singular

• पुरुषर्षभः: bull among men, foremost man
• Type: Noun/Adjective
• Root: पुरुषर्षभ
• Form: masculine, nominative, singular

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Yudhiṣṭhira (Dharma-rāja)
• Sahadeva
• messengers (dūtas)
• kings (rājas)
• brāhmaṇas

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Dharma in governance is shown through orderly administration: a righteous king acts through proper counsel, timely commands, and due respect to social and ritual stakeholders (kings and brāhmaṇas), ensuring that public acts proceed with legitimacy and decorum.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana narrates that Yudhiṣṭhira immediately instructs his minister Sahadeva to take administrative action—sending swift messengers to invite rulers and brāhmaṇas—so preparations for the impending royal assembly/rite can proceed.