Shloka 10

Devanagari script

ननु त्वया नाम विभो धर्मराजस्य यज्ञिय: । अयमश्चो<्नुसर्तव्य: स शेषे कि महीतले,'प्रभो! तुम्हें तो महाराज युधिष्ठिरके यज्ञ-सम्बन्धी अश्वके पीछे-पीछे जाना है; फिर यहाँ पृथ्वीपर कैसे सो रहे हो?

Transliteration

Vaiśampāyana uvāca: nanu tvayā nāma vibho dharmarājasya yajñiyaḥ ayam aśvo 'nusartavyaḥ; sa śeṣe kiṃ mahītale?

Translation

Vaiśampāyana disse: “Não é certo, ó poderoso, que deves seguir o cavalo sacrificial do rei Yudhiṣṭhira em seu rito? Por que, então, estás deitado aqui sobre a terra, ficando para trás?”

Word by Word

ननुindeed; surely; but

त्वयाby you

नामindeed; surely (emphatic particle)

विभोO mighty one; O lord

धर्मराजस्यof Dharmaraja (Yudhiṣṭhira)

यज्ञियःfit for sacrifice; sacrificial

अयम्this

अश्वःhorse

अनुसर्तव्यःis to be followed; must be followed

सःhe

शेषेyou lie; you sleep

किम्why? what?

महीतलेon the surface of the earth; on the ground

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Dharmarāja (Yudhiṣṭhira)

Aśvamedha horse (sacrificial horse)

Earth (mahī)

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 underscores dharma as obligation: when one has been assigned a sacred duty—here, following the Aśvamedha horse—neglect and inertia are ethically blameworthy. It highlights vigilance and responsibility in service of a righteous king and a consecrated rite.

What is happening in the narrative?

The speaker (Vaiśampāyana) points out that the addressed person, who should be accompanying Yudhiṣṭhira’s sacrificial horse as part of the Aśvamedha proceedings, is instead found lying on the ground, and is questioned for remaining behind.