Shloka 3

युधिष्ठिरस्य राज्याभिषेकः | Yudhiṣṭhira’s Royal Consecration

Devanagari script

मध्ये कृत्वा तु राजानं भीमसेनार्जुनावुभौ । निषीदतुर्महात्मानौ शलक्ष्णयोर्मणिपीठयो:

Transliteration

madhye kṛtvā tu rājānaṃ bhīmasenārjunāv ubhau | niṣīdatūr mahātmānau śalakṣṇayor maṇipīṭhayoḥ ||

Translation

ರಾಜನನ್ನು ಮಧ್ಯದಲ್ಲಿ ಇಟ್ಟುಕೊಂಡು ಮಹಾತ್ಮರಾದ ಭೀಮಸೇನ ಮತ್ತು ಅರ್ಜುನ—ಇಬ್ಬರೂ—ಮೃದುವಾಗಿ ನಿರ್ಮಿತವಾದ ಮಣಿಪೀಠಗಳ ಮೇಲೆ ಆಸೀನರಾದರು।

Word by Word

मध्येin the middle

कृत्वाhaving placed/made

तुbut/indeed

राजानम्the king

भीमसेनBhimasena

अर्जुनौArjuna (as one of the two)

उभौboth

निषीदतुःsat down

महात्मानौthe two great-souled ones

शलक्ष्णयोःon the smooth (ones)

मणिपीठयोःon the jeweled seats/thrones

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

the king (rājā)

Bhīmasena

Arjuna

maṇipīṭha (jewel-inlaid seats)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights propriety and dharmic etiquette: even powerful warriors observe respectful order by placing the king centrally and taking their seats with restraint, signaling that authority and deliberation should be approached with discipline and reverence.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana narrates a formal seating arrangement: Bhīmasena and Arjuna position the king between them and then sit on two fine, jewel-inlaid seats, setting the stage for a serious discussion or counsel within the Śānti Parva context.