Shloka 19
Āśvamedha-dīkṣā-nirdeśaḥ — Scheduling the Initiation and Assigning Protection for the Horse
देवकी सुप्रजा देवी त्वया पुरुषसत्तम । यद् ब्रूयां त्वां महाबाहो तत् कृथास्त्वमिहाच्युत,“पुरुषोत्तम! महाबाहु अच्युत! आपको ही पाकर देवकीदेवी उत्तम संतानवाली मानी गयी हैं। मैं आपसे जो कुछ कहूँ, उसे आप यहाँ सम्पन्न करें
devakī suprajā devī tvayā puruṣasattama | yad brūyāṃ tvāṃ mahābāho tat kṛthās tvam ihācyuta ||
โอ้บุรุษผู้ประเสริฐ! โอ้อจยุตผู้มีพาหาอันเกรียงไกร! ด้วยได้พระองค์เป็นโอรส เทวีเทวกีจึงนับว่าเป็นผู้มีบุตรอันเลิศแท้จริง สิ่งใดที่ข้าพเจ้าจะทูลขอ ขอพระองค์ทรงกระทำให้สำเร็จ ณ ที่นี้
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights reverence for divine virtue and the idea that true ‘noble progeny’ is measured by dharmic excellence: Devakī is called suprajā because her son is Kṛṣṇa, the ideal of steadfastness and righteousness. It also models respectful petition—addressing a superior with honor and asking for action aligned with dharma.
Vaiśaṃpāyana, narrating the events, praises Kṛṣṇa with epithets (Puruṣasattama, Mahābāhu, Acyuta) and prefaces a request: he signals that he is about to ask Kṛṣṇa to carry out something ‘here’ in the present situation, framing the request through honor and acknowledgment of Kṛṣṇa’s exceptional status.