Shloka 23
Duḥṣantasya Vana-praveśaḥ
King Duḥṣanta’s Entry into the Forest Hunt
वसुना राजमुख्येन प्रीतिमानब्रवीत् प्रभु: । ये पूजयिष्यन्ति नरा राजानश्न महं मम
Vaiśampāyana uvāca | Vasunā rājamukhyena prītimān abravīt prabhuḥ | ye pūjayiṣyanti narā rājānaś ca māṃ mama utsavam racayiṣyanti, teṣāṃ teṣāṃ ca samūhasya rāṣṭrasya lakṣmī-vijayau bhaviṣyataḥ ||
Vaiśaṃpāyana berkata: Berkenan akan bhakti raja utama Vasu, Sang Tuan pun bersabda: “Sebagaimana Uparicara Vasu, penguasa Cedi, memuja Aku, demikian juga mana-mana manusia dan raja yang memuja Aku serta mengadakan perayaan ini demi kehormatan-Ku—ke atas mereka dan ke atas seluruh negeri mereka akan datang kemakmuran dan kemenangan.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse links righteous kingship with reverent conduct: when rulers and people honor the divine through orderly public rites, the result is not merely personal merit but the welfare of the whole realm—prosperity (lakṣmī) and success (vijaya).
Vaiśampāyana narrates that Indra (Mahendra), pleased by King Uparicara Vasu’s worship, declares a boon: whoever—men or kings—worships him similarly and establishes the festival will gain prosperity and victory, along with their entire kingdom.