Shloka 9
अश्वमेध-उपदेशः तथा मरुत्त-यज्ञ-धन-प्रसङ्गः
Counsel on Aśvamedha and the Marutta-treasure episode
यजस्व वाजिमेधेन विधिवद् दक्षिणावता । बहुकामान्नवित्तेन रामो दाशरथिर्यथा,विधिवत् दक्षिणा देकर बहुत-से मनोवांछित पदार्थ, अन्न और धनसे सम्पन्न अश्वमेध यज्ञके द्वारा दशरथनन्दन श्रीरामकी भाँति यजन करो
yajasva vājimedhena vidhivad dakṣiṇāvatā | bahukāmānna-vittena rāmo dāśarathir yathā ||
Vyāsa berkata: “Laksanakanlah korban suci Aśvamedha menurut tatacara yang benar, lengkap dengan dakṣiṇā—pemberian yang ditetapkan kepada para pendeta pelaksana. Biarlah ia melimpah dengan berkat yang dihajati, makanan, dan kekayaan—berbaktilah melalui upacara ini sebagaimana Rāma, putera Daśaratha, pernah melakukannya—agar pemerintahanmu ditegakkan kembali di atas landasan dharma dan kesejahteraan rakyat.”
व्यास उवाच
Educational Q&A
A ruler should restore and affirm dharma through properly performed public rites—done with correct procedure and generous dakṣiṇā—so that prosperity (food, wealth) and legitimacy arise in a way aligned with ethical governance rather than mere power.
Vyāsa advises the king to undertake an Aśvamedha sacrifice, emphasizing strict adherence to ritual rules and the giving of appropriate gifts, and he cites Rāma (son of Daśaratha) as the model of a righteous monarch who performed such a rite.