Shloka 88

राजपूजाविधानम् / Royal Reception Protocols during Āśvamedha Preparations

Devanagari script

इति श्रीमहाभारते आश्वमेधिके पर्वणि अनुगीतापर्वणि अश्वमेधारम्भे अष्टाशीतितमो<ध्याय:

Transliteration

iti śrīmahābhārate āśvamedhike parvaṇi anugītāparvaṇi aśvamedhārambhe aṣṭāśītitamo 'dhyāyaḥ

Translation

اِتی شری مہابھارت کے آشوَمیدھک پَرو میں، اَنوگیتا پَرو میں، اَشوَمیدھ یَجْی کے آغاز پر اٹھاسیواں اَدھیائے اختتام پذیر ہوا۔

Word by Word

इतिthus; end-quote marker

श्रीमहाभारतेin the revered Mahabharata

आश्वमेधिकेin the Ashvamedhika (parva)

पर्वणिin the book/section (parva)

अनुगीतापर्वणिin the Anugita sub-parva

अश्वमेधारम्भेat the commencement of the Ashvamedha

अष्टाशीतितमःeighty-eighth

अध्यायःchapter

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Mahābhārata

Āśvamedhika Parva

Anugītāparvan

Aśvamedha

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

This line is a colophon rather than a doctrinal verse: it frames the ethical-political arc of the section by locating it at the start of the Aśvamedha, a royal rite associated with re-establishing legitimate sovereignty and social order (dharma) after the devastation of war.

What is happening in the narrative?

The text signals the conclusion of Chapter 88 within the Aśvamedhika Parva, in the Anugītā sub-section, at the point where the Aśvamedha sacrifice is being initiated; it functions as a structural marker for readers and reciters.