Shloka 22
द्वैधायनो नारदश्न जामदग्न्य: पृथुश्रवा: । इन्द्रद्युम्नो भालुकिश्न॒ कृतचेता: सहस्रपात्,द्वैपायन व्यास, नारद, परशुराम, पृथुश्रवा, इन्द्रद्ममम, भालुकि, कृतचेता, सहस्रपात्, कर्णश्रवा, मुंज, लवणाश्व, काश्यप, हारीत, स्थूणकर्ण, अग्निवेश्य, शौनक, कृतवाक्, सुवाक्, बृहदश्वच, विभावसु, ऊध्वरेता, वृषामित्र, सुहोत्र तथा होत्रवाहन--ये सब ब्रह्मर्षि तथा राजर्षिगण और दूसरे कठोर व्रतका पालन करनेवाले बहुत-से ब्राह्मण अजातशत्रु युधिष्ठिरका उसी प्रकार आदर करते थे, जैसे महर्षि लोग देवराज इन्द्रका
vaiśampāyana uvāca |
dvaidhāyano nāradaś ca jāmadagnyaḥ pṛthuśravāḥ |
indradyumno bhālukiś ca kṛtacetāḥ sahasrapāt ||
Vaiśampāyana said: Dvaidhāyana (Vyāsa), Nārada, Jāmadagnya (Paraśurāma), Pṛthuśravā, Indradyumna, Bhāluki, Kṛtacetā, and Sahasrapāt—together with many other brahmarṣis and rājarṣis and austere brāhmaṇas—honoured Ajātaśatru Yudhiṣṭhira with the same reverence that the great seers show to Indra, lord of the gods. The passage underscores Yudhiṣṭhira’s ethical stature: his commitment to dharma draws the respect of the spiritually accomplished, even amid the hardships of exile.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Moral authority (dharma) naturally commands reverence: Yudhiṣṭhira’s righteousness makes even the greatest sages and ascetics honour him, illustrating that ethical kingship is validated by spiritual exemplars.
A gathering of eminent sages—named individually—are described as paying high respect to Yudhiṣṭhira, likening their honour to the seers’ reverence for Indra, thereby elevating Yudhiṣṭhira’s standing during the forest-exile setting.