Shloka 27
Śaṅkha–Likhita Upākhyāna: Daṇḍa, Confession, and the Purification of Kingship (शङ्ख-लिखितोपाख्यानम्)
धनुर्यूपो रशना ज्या शर: खुक् स्रुवः खड्गो रुधिरं यत्र चाज्यम् । रथो वेदी कामगो युद्धमग्नि- श्वातुर्होत्रं चतुरो वाजिमुख्या:
vaiśampāyana uvāca |
dhanur yūpo raśanā jyā śaraḥ śuk sruvaḥ khaḍgo rudhiraṃ yatra cājyam |
ratho vedī kāmago yuddham agniś cāturhotraṃ caturo vājimukhyāḥ ||
ໄວສັມປາຍະນະ ກ່າວວ່າ: «ຄັນທະນູຂອງລາວເປັນເສົາຍັນ (yūpa); ສາຍຄາດແອວກາຍເປັນສາຍທະນູ; ລູກສອນເປັນດັ່ງທັບພີ (sruva) ແລະດາບເຮັດໜ້າທີ່ເຫມືອນຊ້ອນບູຊາ. ທີ່ນັ້ນ ເລືອດເອງແທນທີ່ເນີຍໃສ (ghṛta). ລົດສົງຄາມທີ່ໄປໄດ້ຕາມໃຈປາຖະໜາເປັນເວທີ; ສົງຄາມເປັນໄຟ; ແລະມ້າຫຼັກສີ່ຕົວຂອງລາວເປັນດັ່ງປະໂຣຫິດສີ່ອົງໃນພິທີ cāturhotra. ດັ່ງນັ້ນ ກະສັດຫະຍະກຣີວ ຜູ້ວ່ອງໄວດັ່ງສິງໂຕ ໄດ້ຖວາຍສັດຕູເປັນອາຫຸຕິໃນໄຟຍັນແຫ່ງ ‘ສົງຄາມ’ ແລະທ້າຍສຸດຖວາຍລົມຫາຍໃຈແຫ່ງຊີວິດຂອງຕົນເອງ, ຈຶ່ງພົ້ນຈາກບາບ; ແລະເມື່ອສົງຄາມສິ້ນສຸດດັ່ງການອາບນ້ຳ avabhṛtha ທ້າຍພິທີ, ບັດນີ້ລາວຊື່ນບານໃນໂລກແຫ່ງເທວະ».
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames righteous battle (undertaken as kṣatriya-duty) through the imagery of a Vedic sacrifice: instruments of war become ritual implements, and the warrior’s final self-offering is likened to the sacrifice’s completion and purification. It emphasizes intention, duty, and the idea that disciplined action can be interpreted within a sacred-ethical order.
Vaiśampāyana describes a warrior-king (Hayagrīva) whose combat is poetically presented as a yajña: bow as yūpa, chariot as altar, battle as fire, and horses as priests. By ‘offering’ enemies and ultimately his own life, he is said to attain purification and joy in Devaloka, as if he had completed the concluding avabhṛtha bath of a sacrifice.