Shloka 36

Sārasvata–Dadhīca Upākhyāna at Sarasvatī Tīrtha

Balarāma’s Pilgrimage Context

Devanagari script

अश्वमेधं क्रतुवरं नरमेधं तथैव च

Transliteration

aśvamedhaṃ kratuvaraṃ naramedhaṃ tathaiva ca

Translation

ໄວສັມປາຍະນະ ກ່າວວ່າ: “(ລາວໄດ້ປະກອບ) ອັສວະເມທະ (Aśvamedha) ອັນເປັນຍັດຍາທີ່ຍິ່ງສຸດ ແລະດັ່ງດຽວກັນ (ຍັງປະກອບ) ນະຣະເມທະ (Naramedha) ອີກດ້ວຍ.” ບັນທັດນີ້ສະທ້ອນຄວາມຫ່ວງໃຍຂອງມະຫາກາບກ່ຽວກັບອຳນາດກະສັດທີ່ສະແດງອອກຜ່ານພິທີອັນໃຫຍ່ຫຼວງ ແລະພ້ອມກັນນັ້ນກໍບອກເຖິງຄວາມຕຶງຕັນທາງຈັນຍາທຳ ຕໍ່ອຸດົມຄະຕິການບູຊາທີ່ສຸດຂີດ ແລະຂອບເຂດຂອງທັມມະ (dharma).

Word by Word

अश्वमेधम्the horse-sacrifice

क्रतुवरम्the best sacrifice (as an epithet)

नरमेधम्the man-sacrifice

तथाthus; likewise

एवindeed; just; also

चand

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Aśvamedha

Naramedha

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 how kingship is portrayed through great sacrificial rites, while implicitly raising dharmic questions about the moral boundaries of ritual power—especially when rites are described in extreme terms.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana is listing major sacrifices performed—specifically the Aśvamedha, praised as a supreme royal rite, and additionally the Naramedha—within a broader account of ritual acts and their significance.