Shloka 23
अश्वमेधावसानम् — Dakṣiṇā-vibhāga and Avabhṛtha
Completion of the Aśvamedha
एवमुक्क्त्वा स नृपति: प्रविवेश रसातलम् । उक्त्वाथ वितथं प्रश्न॑ चेदीनामी श्वर: प्रभु:,इस प्रकार कहकर असत्य निर्णय देनेके कारण चेदिराज वसुको रसातलमें जाना पड़ा
evam uktvā sa nṛpatiḥ praviveśa rasātalam | uktvātha vitathaṁ praśnaṁ cedīnām īśvaraḥ prabhuḥ |
Setelah berkata demikian, sang raja pun masuk ke Rasātala. Karena menjawab pertanyaan dengan putusan yang palsu, Vasu—penguasa perkasa negeri Cedi—dijatuhkan ke alam bawah.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
A ruler’s foremost duty is truthful judgment. When authority is used to endorse falsehood, the moral order (dharma) is violated, and the ruler incurs grave karmic consequence—symbolized here by descent to Rasātala.
Vaiśampāyana narrates that after speaking, the king Vasu of Cedi enters Rasātala because he had answered a question with a false decision, implying a judicial or authoritative ruling that departed from truth.