Shloka 53
Rudra-Śiva: Names, Two Natures, and the Logic of Epithets (रुद्रनाम-बहुरूपत्व-प्रकरणम्)
अश्वमेधजितॉल्लोकानाप्रोति त्रिदिवालये
aśvamedhajitān lokān āpnoti tridivālaye | yo rājā duḥkhī manuṣyānāṃ hastasya sahāraṃ dadāti sa iha ca paraloke ca sammānito bhavati | gāṃś ca brāhmaṇāṃś ca saṅkaṭāt trātuṃ yaḥ parākramaṃ darśayitvā saṅgrāme mṛtyuṃ prāpnoti sa svarge ’śvamedhayajñair jitān lokān adhitiṣṭhati ||
マヘーシュヴァラは宣言する。苦しむ人々にとって「支えの手」となる王は、この世でも来世でも尊ばれる。また、牛とバラモンを危難から救うため勇を示し、戦いの中で命を落とす者は天界に至り、アシュヴァメーダの供犠によって得られるとされる諸領域の主権を得る—かくして、守護と自己犠牲に立つ王道は、最高の祭祀功徳に等しいとされるのである。
श्रीमहेश्वर उवाच
Educational Q&A
True royal dharma is protective compassion: supporting the distressed and risking even one’s life to safeguard cows and Brahmins yields honor here and heavenly reward beyond, comparable to the highest royal sacrifices.
Maheśvara is instructing about the fruits of righteous conduct: he praises the king who aids suffering subjects and extols the warrior who dies defending vulnerable, dharmically significant groups, stating that such death grants exalted heavenly status like that gained through Ashvamedha rites.