Shloka 15
उपहार-विधानम्, यक्षपूजा, रत्ननिध्युद्धारः
Offerings to Tryambaka; Yakṣa honors; Excavation of the Treasure
श्र॒ुत्वा तु तेषां द्विजसत्तमानां कृतोपवासा रजनीं नरेन्द्रा: । ऊषु: प्रतीता: कुशसंस्तरेषु यथाध्वरे प्रज्वलिता हुताशा:
śrutvā tu teṣāṃ dvijasattamānāṃ kṛtopavāsā rajanīṃ narendrāḥ | ūṣuḥ pratītāḥ kuśasaṃstareṣu yathādhvare prajvalitā hutāśāḥ ||
Sinabi ni Vaiśampāyana: Nang marinig ang mga salita ng mga pinakadakilang dwija, ang mga hari (ang mga Pāṇḍava) ay nag-ayuno sa buong magdamag at humimlay, panatag ang loob, sa mga higaan ng damong kuśa. Mistula silang mga banal na apoy na nagliliyab sa isang yajña—matatag, dalisay, at may pagpipigil—na nakalagay sa pook-ritwal.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights disciplined receptivity to righteous counsel: after hearing the brāhmaṇas, the rulers adopt austerity (fasting) and ritual purity (kuśa bedding), embodying steadiness and sanctity like sacrificial fires—suggesting that ethical kingship is sustained by self-restraint and reverence for dharma.
After receiving the words/instructions of eminent brāhmaṇas, the kings (understood as the Pāṇḍavas in context) keep a night-long fast and sleep on kuśa grass mats, appearing serene and radiant, compared to fires blazing in a sacrificial rite.