Shloka 7

Āśvamedha-dīkṣā-nirdeśaḥ — Scheduling the Initiation and Assigning Protection for the Horse

Devanagari script

विदुरं पूजयित्वा च वैश्यापुत्र॑ समेत्य च

Transliteration

viduraṁ pūjayitvā ca vaiśyāputraṁ sametya ca

Translation

Disse Vaiśampāyana: Tendo honrado devidamente Vidura e também encontrado o filho de uma vaiśyā, prosseguiram segundo o respeito apropriado e o dever social—mostrando que a conduta reta começa com a reverência aos sábios e o trato cortês com todos, sem distinção de nascimento.

Word by Word

• विदुरम्: Vidura (as object)
• विदुरम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: विदुर
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• पूजयित्वा: having honored/worshipped
• Type: Verb
• Root: पूज्
• Form: क्त्वा (absolutive/gerund), Parasmaipada (usage)

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

• वैश्यापुत्रम्: the son of a Vaiśyā (woman of the Vaiśya class)
• वैश्यापुत्रम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: वैश्यापुत्र
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• समेत्य: having met/approached
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-इ
• Form: ल्यप् (absolutive/gerund), Parasmaipada (usage)

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

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vidura
• vaiśyāputra (son of a vaiśyā)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse foregrounds dhārmic etiquette: honoring a virtuous elder like Vidura and engaging respectfully with others, indicating that righteous action is grounded in reverence, humility, and proper social conduct.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana narrates a brief transition: someone (implied by the surrounding context) first pays honor to Vidura and then meets a person described as a vaiśyā’s son, marking the next step in the unfolding events.