Shloka 5

Āśvamedha-dīkṣā-nirdeśaḥ — Scheduling the Initiation and Assigning Protection for the Horse

Devanagari script

ते समेत्य यथान्यायं धृतराष्ट्र जनाधिपम्‌

Transliteration

te sametya yathānyāyaṃ dhṛtarāṣṭraṃ janādhipam

Translation

വൈശമ്പായനൻ പറഞ്ഞു—അവർ എല്ലാവരും ഒന്നിച്ചു കൂടി, ന്യായവിധിപ്രകാരം, ജനാധിപനായ ധൃതരാഷ്ട്രനെ സമീപിച്ചു; മൂത്ത രാജാവിനോടു യഥാവിധി വിനയം കാട്ടി।

Word by Word

• ते: they
• ते: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: masculine, nominative, plural

• समेत्य: having come together / having met
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-इ (गम्-अर्थे)
• Form: ल्यप् (absolutive/gerund), parasmaipada (usage-neutral for gerund)

• यथा: as / according to
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा

• अन्यायम्: injustice / improper conduct
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्याय
• Form: masculine, accusative, singular

• धृतराष्ट्रम्: Dhṛtarāṣṭra
• धृतराष्ट्रम्: Karma
• Type: Noun (proper name)
• Root: धृतराष्ट्र
• Form: masculine, accusative, singular

• जनाधिपम्: the lord of people / king
• जनाधिपम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: जनाधिप
• Form: masculine, accusative, singular

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Dhṛtarāṣṭra

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights dharma as proper conduct: even amid political change and post-war tensions, one should approach elders and rulers with due respect and according to established norms (yathā-nyāyam).

What is happening in the narrative?

The narrator states that a group (contextually, leading figures present in the episode) gathers and then goes to meet Dhṛtarāṣṭra, approaching him formally and respectfully as befits a sovereign and elder.