Shloka 19
पाण्डव-वृष्णि-समागमः तथा अश्वमेध-अनुज्ञा | Reunion at the Kuru Court and Authorization of the Aśvamedha
आसीदू् वैश्रवणस्येव निवासस्तत्पुरं तदा । वन्दिभिश्न नरै राजन् स्त्रीसहायैश्व सर्वश:
āsīd vaiśravaṇasyeva nivāsas tat-puraṁ tadā | vandibhiś ca naraiḥ rājan strī-sahāyaiś ca sarvaśaḥ | adarśayann iva tadā kurūn vai dakṣiṇottarān ||
ヴァイシャンパーヤナは語った。その時その都は、ヴァイシュラヴァナ（クベーラ）の住まいそのもののように、華やかで富み栄えて見えた。王よ、四方の人目につきにくい場所には、讃歌をうたう者や従者が女たちとともに立ち並び、都の美をいよいよ増していた。やがて風が起こり、町じゅうの幟や旗が翻ると、それはまるで都そのものが、南北のクル—両国の栄光を、はためく標によって示しているかのようであった。
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical ideal of a well-ordered kingdom: prosperity, public harmony, and cultural refinement (bards, orderly celebration) are presented as signs of good governance and collective dignity, where the realm’s identity is upheld without violence—through beauty, ceremony, and social cohesion.
The narrator describes a city at a festive moment, comparing it to Kubera’s splendid residence. Bards and people stand throughout the city, and wind-driven banners flutter everywhere, making it seem as if the city is showcasing the grandeur of the Kuru domains—both southern and northern.