Shloka 17

Aśvamedha-saṃbhāra: Return of the Horse, Auspicious Timing, and Construction of the Yajña Enclosure

Devanagari script

कर्तुमहति तद्‌ राजा भवांश्वाप्पनुमन्यताम्‌ । राजद्वेषान्न नश्येयुरिमा राजन्‌ पुनः प्रजा:

Transliteration

vaiśampāyana uvāca | kartum arhati tad rājā bhavān svāpy anumanyatām | rājadveṣān na naśyeyur imā rājan punaḥ prajāḥ |

Translation

‘ਸ੍ਰੀ ਕ੍ਰਿਸ਼ਨ! ਰਾਜਾ ਯੁਧਿਸ਼ਠਿਰ ਨੂੰ ਇਹੀ ਕਰਨਾ ਚਾਹੀਦਾ ਹੈ। ਤੁਸੀਂ ਵੀ ਉਸ ਨੂੰ ਮਨਜ਼ੂਰੀ ਦਿਓ ਅਤੇ ਇਉਂ ਸਮਝਾਓ—“ਹੇ ਰਾਜਨ! ਰਾਜਿਆਂ ਦੇ ਆਪਸੀ ਵੈਰ ਕਾਰਨ ਇਹ ਸਾਰੀ ਪ੍ਰਜਾ ਮੁੜ ਨਾਸ ਨਾ ਹੋਵੇ।”’

Word by Word

• कर्तुम्: to do
• कर्तुम्: Karma
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (infinitive)

• अर्हति: is fit/ought
• अर्हति: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: अर्ह् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), 3, singular, परस्मैपद

• तत्: that (act/thing)
• तत्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: neuter, accusative, singular

• राजा: the king
• राजा: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: masculine, nominative, singular

• भवान्: you (honorific)
• भवान्: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: भवत् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: masculine, nominative, singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• अपि: also
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि

• अनुमन्यताम्: let (him) permit/approve
• Type: Verb
• Root: अनु + मन् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (imperative), 3, singular, आत्मनेपद

• राजद्वेषात्: from (mutual) hatred among kings
• राजद्वेषात्: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजद्वेष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: masculine, ablative, singular

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• नश्येयुः: might perish
• Type: Verb
• Root: नश् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), 3, plural, परस्मैपद

• इमाः: these
• इमाः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: feminine, nominative, plural

• राजन्: O king
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: masculine, vocative, singular

• पुनः: again
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः

• प्रजाः: subjects/people
• प्रजाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रजा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: feminine, nominative, plural

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Yudhiṣṭhira
• Śrī Kṛṣṇa
• prajāḥ (subjects/people)
• rājānaḥ (kings, as a class)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Rulership must prioritize the protection of the people: political decisions should be guided by consent, restraint, and the prevention of renewed violence arising from inter-kingly enmity.

What is happening in the narrative?

The narrator reports counsel that Yudhiṣṭhira should proceed with a proposed course of action, and that Śrī Kṛṣṇa should endorse it, so that the populace will not suffer another catastrophe caused by rival kings’ hatred.