Shloka 5

Devanagari script

अर्चयामास देवांश्र ब्राह्मणांश्व युधिष्ठिर: । कृत्वाथ प्रेतकार्याणि बन्धूनां स पुनर्न॒प:

Transliteration

arcayāmāsa devānś ca brāhmaṇānś ca yudhiṣṭhiraḥ | kṛtvātha pretakāryāṇi bandhūnāṃ sa punar nṛpaḥ ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana said: King Yudhiṣṭhira duly worshipped the gods and honoured the Brāhmaṇas; and after performing the funerary rites for his departed kinsmen, the king resumed his royal duties with a mind turned toward righteous order and restitution.

Word by Word

अर्चयामासworshipped, honored

देवान्the gods

ब्राह्मणान्the Brahmins

चand

युधिष्ठिरःYudhiṣṭhira

कृत्वाhaving done

अथthen

प्रेतकार्याणिfuneral rites (rites for the departed)

बन्धूनाम्of (his) kinsmen

सःhe

पुनःagain

नृपःthe king

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Yudhiṣṭhira

Devas (gods)

Brāhmaṇas

Departed kinsmen (bandhu)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even after catastrophic conflict, dharma requires restoration through proper rites: honouring the divine and the learned, and fulfilling obligations to the dead. Kingship is shown as grounded in ritual responsibility, gratitude, and ethical repair rather than mere power.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana narrates that Yudhiṣṭhira worships the gods and honours the Brāhmaṇas, then completes the funerary duties for his slain relatives; having done so, he returns to the role and responsibilities of a king.