Bhīmasena’s Eastern Digvijaya and the Cedi Reception
Sabhā-parva 26
अजुन उवाच कुरूणामृषभो राजा धर्मपुत्रो युधिष्ठिर: । धर्मज्ञ: सत्यसंधश्न यज्वा विपुलदक्षिण:
arjuna uvāca
kurūṇām ṛṣabho rājā dharmaputro yudhiṣṭhiraḥ |
dharmajñaḥ satyasaṃdhaś ca yajvā vipuladakṣiṇaḥ ||
Arjuna disse: “Ó grande rei! Yudhiṣṭhira, filho de Dharma, é o soberano—o mais eminente entre os Kurus. Ele conhece o dharma, é firme na verdade e realiza sacrifícios concedendo dádivas abundantes.”
अजुन उवाच
Legitimate sovereignty is grounded in dharma: truthfulness, knowledge of righteous conduct, and generosity—especially the capacity to give (dakṣiṇā) in sacrificial and public duties—mark a ruler as worthy of honor and pre-eminence.
Arjuna praises Yudhiṣṭhira as the foremost Kuru king, emphasizing his dharmic character and generosity. In the broader Sabha-parvan setting, this supports the claim that Yudhiṣṭhira deserves recognition and the status associated with imperial rites such as the Rājasūya.