Shloka 39
अर्जुनदुःखहेतुप्रश्नः — Inquiry into the cause of Arjuna’s recurring hardship
Book 14, Chapter 89
एवं बभूव यज्ञ: स धर्मराजस्य धीमत: । बद्धन्नधनरत्नौघ: सुरामैरेयसागर:,इस प्रकार बुद्धिमान् धर्मराज युधिष्ठिरका वह यज्ञ पूर्ण हुआ। उसमें अन्न, धन और रत्नोंके ढेर लगे हुए थे। देवताओंके मनमें अतिशय कामना उत्पन्न करनेवाली वस्तुओंका सागर लहराता था। कितने ही ऐसे तालाब थे, जिनमें घीकी कीचड़ जमी हुई थी और अन्नके तो पहाड़ ही खड़े थे। भरतभूषण! रससे भरी कीचड़रहित नदियाँ बहती थीं
evaṁ babhūva yajñaḥ sa dharmarājasya dhīmataḥ | baddhānna-dhana-ratnaughaḥ surā-maireya-sāgaraḥ ||
Vaiśampāyana said: Thus was completed the sacrifice of the wise Dharmarāja. It stood heaped with stores of grain, wealth, and torrents of jewels—like an ocean of intoxicating delights that would stir even the gods’ desire. The scene proclaims royal responsibility: prosperity is gathered not for private indulgence but displayed and distributed through a public rite that affirms order, generosity, and dharma after the devastations of war.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights dharmic kingship: abundance and power are legitimized through a public, rule-governed rite and are oriented toward generosity and social order, not mere personal enjoyment.
Vaiśampāyana describes the completion of Yudhiṣṭhira’s great sacrifice, emphasizing the immense accumulation of provisions and valuables—so plentiful it is likened to an ocean of intoxicating luxuries.