Shloka 43

Devanagari script

उपाजिघ्रद्‌ यथाशास्त्र सर्वपापापहं तदा । भाइयोंसहित धर्मराज युधिष्ठिरने शास्त्रकी आज्ञाके अनुसार उस चर्बीके धूमकी गन्ध सूँघी, जो समस्त पापोंका नाश करनेवाली थी,दीयतां भुज्यतां चेष्टं दिवारात्रमवारितम्‌ | त॑ महोत्सवसंकाशं हृष्टपुष्टजनाकुलम्‌

Transliteration

vaiśampāyana uvāca |

upājighrad yathāśāstraṃ sarvapāpāpahaṃ tadā |

dīyatāṃ bhujyatāṃ ceṣṭaṃ divārātram avāritam |

taṃ mahotsava-saṅkāśaṃ hṛṣṭa-puṣṭa-janākulam |

Translation

Vaiśampāyana berkata: Kemudian Dharmarāja Yudhiṣṭhira, bersama saudara-saudaranya, menghidu—menurut ketetapan śāstra—harum asap yang dipercayai menghapus segala dosa. “Biarlah sedekah diberikan; biarlah makanan yang diingini dimakan—siang dan malam, tanpa halangan.” Pemandangan itu bagaikan pesta besar, sesak dengan orang ramai yang gembira dan kenyang berdaya.

Word by Word

उपाजिघ्रत्smelled (inhaled the scent)

यथाaccording to; as

शास्त्रम्the scripture; rule

सर्वपापापहम्removing all sins

तदाthen

दीयताम्let (it) be given

भुज्यताम्let (it) be eaten/enjoyed

चand

इष्टम्what is desired; the wished-for (thing/act)

दिवाby day

रात्रम्night (through the night)

अवारितम्unhindered; without obstruction

तत्that

महोत्सवसंकाशम्resembling a great festival

हृष्टपुष्टजनाकुलम्crowded with delighted and well-fed people

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Dharmarāja Yudhiṣṭhira

Yudhiṣṭhira's brothers (the Pāṇḍavas)

śāstra (scriptural injunction)

purifying smoke/fragrance (from sacrificial rite)

gifts (dāna)

festival-like celebration (mahotsava)

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 links royal ritual duty with ethical restoration: purification is pursued through śāstra-guided action, and kingship is expressed through generosity and public welfare—gifts and sustenance offered freely, creating social harmony after conflict.

What is happening in the narrative?

During the Aśvamedha-related proceedings, Yudhiṣṭhira and his brothers perform a prescribed act of inhaling the purifying sacrificial smoke. The occasion then turns into an open, continuous celebration marked by giving and feasting, resembling a grand festival filled with happy, well-fed crowds.