Shloka 8
Śaṅkha–Likhita Upākhyāna: Daṇḍa, Confession, and the Purification of Kingship (शङ्ख-लिखितोपाख्यानम्)
“कुरुनन्दन! महाराज! पहले सर्वमेध और अश्वमेध यज्ञोंका अनुष्ठान करो। उससे परम गतिको प्राप्त करोगे ।।
Vaiśampāyana uvāca: Kurunandana! Mahārāja! pūrvaṃ sarvamedha-aśvamedha-yajñānām anuṣṭhānaṃ kuru. tataḥ paramāṃ gatiṃ prāpsyasi. bhrātṝś ca sarvān kratubhiḥ saṃyojya bahu-dakṣiṇaiḥ, samprāptaḥ kīrtim atulāṃ pāṇḍaveya bhaviṣyasi.
Vaiśampāyana berkata: “Wahai kebanggaan wangsa Kuru, wahai maharaja—mula-mula laksanakan yajña Sarvamedha dan Aśvamedha. Dengan itu engkau akan mencapai tujuan tertinggi. Dan wahai putra Pāṇḍu, dengan melibatkan semua saudaramu dalam yajña yang kaya anugerah (dakṣiṇā), engkau akan meraih kemasyhuran yang tiada banding.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
A king should re-establish dharma after conflict through sanctioned Vedic rites and generous giving. Performing great sacrifices with abundant dakṣiṇā is presented as a means to both spiritual uplift (paramā gati) and public legitimacy (atulā kīrti), especially when the ruler involves his kin in shared religious duty.
In the Śānti Parva’s instruction-setting, Vaiśampāyana reports counsel directed to the Kuru king (Yudhiṣṭhira): he is urged to undertake the Sarvamedha and Aśvamedha and to engage all his brothers in richly endowed sacrifices, thereby securing supreme attainment and unmatched renown.