Mahabharata — Ashvamedhika Parva, Shloka 12

अश्वमेधावसानम् — Dakṣiṇā-vibhāga and Avabhṛtha

Completion of the Aśvamedha

Devanagari script

ततो दीनान्‌ पशून्‌ दृष्टवा ऋषयस्ते तपोधना: । ऊचुः: शक्रं: समागम्य नायं यज्ञविधि: शुभ:

Transliteration

tato dīnān paśūn dṛṣṭvā ṛṣayas te tapodhanāḥ | ūcuḥ śakraṃ samāgamya nāyaṃ yajñavidhiḥ śubhaḥ ||

Translation

ਤਦ ਉਹਨਾਂ ਪਸ਼ੂਆਂ ਦੀ ਦਇਆਜਨਕ ਹਾਲਤ ਵੇਖ ਕੇ ਤਪੋਧਨ ਰਿਸ਼ੀ ਸ਼ਕ੍ਰ (ਇੰਦਰ) ਕੋਲ ਜਾ ਕੇ ਬੋਲੇ—“ਯੱਗ ਵਿੱਚ ਪਸ਼ੂਵਧ ਦਾ ਇਹ ਵਿਧਾਨ ਸ਼ੁਭ ਨਹੀਂ ਹੈ।”

Word by Word

• ततः: then, thereafter
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (तद्-प्रातिपदिकात्)

• दीनान्: wretched, pitiable
• दीनान्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दीन (प्रातिपदिकम्)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• पशून्: animals
• पशून्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: पशु (प्रातिपदिकम्)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: Absolutive (क्त्वा), Parasmaipada (usage-neutral)

• ऋषयः: sages
• ऋषयः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋषि (प्रातिपदिकम्)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• ते: those
• ते: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिकम्)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• तपोधनाः: whose wealth is austerity (ascetic sages)
• तपोधनाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपोधन (प्रातिपदिकम्)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• ऊचुः: said
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: Perfect (लिट्), 3rd, Plural, Parasmaipada

• शक्रम्: to/unto Śakra (Indra)
• शक्रम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: शक्र (प्रातिपदिकम्)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• समागम्य: having approached, having gone to
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + आ + गम् (धातु)
• Form: Absolutive (ल्यप्), Parasmaipada (usage-neutral)

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (निपात)

• अयम्: this
• अयम्: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिकम्)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• यज्ञविधिः: the rule/ordinance of sacrifice
• यज्ञविधिः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: यज्ञविधि (प्रातिपदिकम्)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• शुभः: auspicious, beneficial
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुभ (प्रातिपदिकम्)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Ṛṣis
• Śakra (Indra)
• Paśus (sacrificial animals)
• Yajña (sacrifice)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse foregrounds compassion and ethical scrutiny within ritual practice: even a sanctioned sacrificial procedure is questioned when it results in visible suffering, implying that auspiciousness (śubha) is inseparable from non-cruelty and dharmic intent.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sages observe the sacrificial animals in a miserable state and, moved by concern, go to Indra (Śakra) to object that this yajña-procedure involving animal killing is not auspicious.