Shloka 2
अलम्बुस-वधः
The Neutralization of Alambusa
पठन्ति पाणिस्वनिका मागधा मधुपर्किका: । वैतालिकाश्न सूताश्न तुष्टवुः पुरुषर्षभम्,उस समय हाथसे ताली देकर गीत गानेवाले तथा मांगलिक वस्तुओंको प्रस्तुत करनेवाले सूत, मागध और वैतालिक जन पुरुषश्रेष्ठ युधिष्ठिरकी स्तुति करने लगे
sañjaya uvāca |
paṭhanti pāṇisvanikā māgadhā madhuparkikāḥ |
vaitālikāś ca sūtāś ca tuṣṭuvuḥ puruṣarṣabham ||
Sañjaya said: Those who sang while keeping time with hand-claps, along with the Māgadhas, the bearers of auspicious offerings (such as the madhuparka), the Vaitālikas, and the Sūtas, began to praise the bull among men—Yudhiṣṭhira. In that moment, public acclamation and ritual honor were offered to the king, affirming his rightful standing and the moral authority expected of a ruler even amid the pressures of war.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how social and ritual recognition—praise by bards and auspicious offerings—functions to affirm a ruler’s legitimacy and expected dharmic stature. Even in a war setting, kingship is framed not merely by power but by public honor, tradition, and moral authority.
Sañjaya reports that professional court bards and heralds (Sūtas, Māgadhas, Vaitālikas), along with those presenting auspicious honors like madhuparka, begin praising Yudhiṣṭhira, publicly celebrating him as an eminent leader.