Shloka 24

Aśvamedha-dīkṣā, Vyāsa’s horse-release, and Arjuna’s departure with Gāṇḍīva (आश्वमेधिक-दीक्षा तथा हय-उत्सर्गः)

Devanagari script

आखूयातव्यश्व भवता यज्ञो5यं मम सर्वश: । पार्थिवे भ्यो महाबाहो समये गम्यतामिति,महाबाहो! मेरे इस यज्ञका समाचार तुम्हें समस्त राजाओंको बताना चाहिये और उनसे यह कहना चाहिये कि आपलोग यथासमय यज्ञमें पधारें

Transliteration

Yudhiṣṭhira uvāca: ākhyātavyaś ca bhavatā yajño ’yaṃ mama sarvaśaḥ | pārthivebhyo mahābāho samaye gamyatām iti ||

Translation

Yudhiṣṭhira disse: “Ó de braços poderosos! Deves anunciar plenamente este sacrifício meu a todos os reis e dizer-lhes: ‘Vinde ao sacrifício no tempo determinado.’”

Word by Word

आखूयातव्यःto be announced / should be proclaimed

चand

भवताby you (sir)

यज्ञःsacrifice, rite

अयम्this

ममof me, my

सर्वशःentirely; in every way; to all (as an adverb)

पार्थिवेभ्यःto the kings

महाबाहोO mighty-armed one

समयेat the proper time

गम्यताम्let (them) come / they should come

इतिthus (quotative)

Speaker

युधिछिर उवाच

Characters & Entities

Yudhiṣṭhira

Mahābāhu (addressed hero, contextually Arjuna)

Yajña (Aśvamedha sacrifice)

Pārthivas (kings/rulers)

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?

A ruler’s great rite must be conducted according to dharma: it should be publicly proclaimed, properly communicated to other rulers, and observed with punctuality and orderly participation—emphasizing transparency, protocol, and responsibility in kingship.

What is happening in the narrative?

Yudhiṣṭhira instructs the addressed hero (mahābāhu) to spread the full news of his sacrifice to all kings and to summon them to attend at the appointed time, setting the administrative and diplomatic groundwork for the Aśvamedha.