Shloka 9

अर्जुनस्य प्रतिघातः — श्रुताय्वच्युतायुवधः तथा गजसैन्यविदारणम्

Arjuna’s Counterstroke: Slaying of Śrutāyu and Acyutāyu; Breaking the Elephant Corps

Devanagari script

सो<श्वमेधसहस्रेण राजसूयशतेन च । पुनरीजे महायज्ञै: समाप्तवरदक्षिणै:,पराक्रमी महाराज भरत जब बड़े हुए, तब उन्होंने यमुनाके तटपर सौ, सरस्वतीके तटपर तीन सौ और गंगाजीके किनारे चार सौ अश्वमेध यज्ञोंका अनुष्ठान करके पुनः उत्तम दक्षिणाओंसे सम्पन्न एक हजार अश्वमेध और सौ राजसूय महायज्ञोंद्वारा भगवानका यजन किया

Transliteration

so 'śvamedha-sahasreṇa rājasūya-śatena ca | punar īje mahā-yajñaiḥ samāpta-vara-dakṣiṇaiḥ ||

Translation

ナーラダは言った。「その強大なる王は、あらゆる点で円満に成就し、すぐれたダクシナー（dakṣiṇā）を備えた大祭によって、再び主を礼拝した。すなわち千のアシュヴァメーダ（Aśvamedha）と百のラージャスーヤ（Rājasūya）を行ったのである。」

Word by Word

• {'saḥ': 'he (that person/king)', 'aśvamedha': 'the Horse-sacrifice

• a royal Vedic rite asserting sovereignty', 'sahasreṇa': 'with a thousand (instrumental singular)', 'rājasūya': 'the royal consecration sacrifice

• rite of imperial status', 'śatena': 'with a hundred (instrumental singular)', 'ca': 'and', 'punar': 'again, once more', 'īje (√yaj)': 'he worshipped/sacrificed

• performed sacrifice', 'mahā-yajñaiḥ': 'by great sacrifices (instrumental plural)', 'samāpta': 'completed, duly concluded', 'vara': 'excellent, choice, best', 'dakṣiṇā': 'sacrificial fee/gift to priests

• charitable donation accompanying rites', 'samāpta-vara-dakṣiṇaiḥ': 'with rites furnished with excellent gifts and properly completed'}

Speaker

नारद उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Nārada
• Aśvamedha (sacrifice)
• Rājasūya (sacrifice)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Power and sovereignty are portrayed as dharmically grounded when expressed through properly completed yajñas and accompanied by generous dakṣiṇā—i.e., authority is linked to responsibility, ritual order, and giving.

What is happening in the narrative?

Nārada describes a mighty king who again performs major royal sacrifices—one thousand Aśvamedhas and one hundred Rājasūyas—emphasizing both his prowess and his adherence to Vedic ritual obligations with fitting gifts.