Shloka 4
Plakṣāvataraṇa–Yamunā Tīrtha and Prajāpati’s Vedī
Kurukṣetra Threshold
सार्वभौमस्य कौन्तेय ययातेरमितौजस: । स्पर्धमानस्य शक्रेण तस्येदं यज्ञवास्त्विह,कुन्तीनन्दन! यह नहुषकुमार ययातिका देश है, जो पुण्यकर्मा, याज्ञिक, महातेजस्वी और सार्वभौम सम्राट थे। वे सदा इन्द्रके साथ ईर्ष्या रखते थे। यहाँ यह उन्हींकी यज्ञभूमि है
sārvabhaumasya kaunteya yayāter amitaujasaḥ | spardhamānasya śakreṇa tasyedaṃ yajñavāstv iha ||
O son of Kuntī, this is the sacrificial ground of Yayāti, the mighty and universal sovereign. He lived in rivalry with Śakra (Indra); this very place here belonged to his sacrifice. The passage recalls how even a great king’s merit and power can be shadowed by jealousy toward the gods, and it frames the site as a moral reminder about envy and competitive pride.
लोगश उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse points to a moral tension: even a righteous, powerful king who performs sacrifices can be undermined by spardhā—competitive envy—toward others (even Indra). It implicitly cautions that true dharma requires inner restraint and freedom from jealousy, not merely external ritual success.
The speaker identifies a particular location for Kaunteya: it is the yajña-ground associated with King Yayāti, famed for immense power and imperial rule, and known for his rivalry with Indra. The setting is being explained through its legendary past.