Shloka 17

Aśvamedha-dīkṣā, Vyāsa’s horse-release, and Arjuna’s departure with Gāṇḍīva (आश्वमेधिक-दीक्षा तथा हय-उत्सर्गः)

Devanagari script

स हि धर्मार्थकुशल: सर्वविद्याविशारद: | यथाशास्त्र॑ नृपश्रेष्ठ चारयिष्यति ते हयम्‌

Transliteration

sa hi dharmārthakuśalaḥ sarvavidyāviśāradaḥ | yathāśāstraṁ nṛpaśreṣṭha cārayiṣyati te hayam ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana nói: “Vì người ấy tinh thông dharma và artha, lại thành tựu trọn vẹn mọi ngành tri thức. Bởi vậy, hỡi bậc vương tối thượng, người ấy sẽ điều hành con ngựa tế lễ của ngài đúng theo những quy định của śāstra.”

Word by Word

• सः: he
• सः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• हि: indeed/for
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि

• धर्मार्थकुशलः: skilled in dharma and artha
• धर्मार्थकुशलः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धर्मार्थकुशल
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• सर्वविद्याविशारदः: proficient in all branches of knowledge
• सर्वविद्याविशारदः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्वविद्याविशारद
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• यथा: according to/as
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा

• शास्त्रम्: the treatise/rule (scriptural injunction)
• शास्त्रम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: शास्त्र
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• नृपश्रेष्ठ: O best of kings
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृपश्रेष्ठ
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• चारयिष्यति: will conduct/lead (set in motion)
• Type: Verb
• Root: चर्
• Form: Simple Future (Luṭ), Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

• ते: of you/your
• ते: Sampradana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: युष्मद्
• Form: Genitive, Singular

• हयम्: the horse
• हयम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: हय
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• nṛpaśreṣṭha (the best of kings)
• Aśvamedha horse (haya)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Competent leadership and ritual action must be grounded in dharma and artha and carried out in conformity with śāstra; expertise and ethical discernment are presented as prerequisites for properly directing a king’s sacred undertaking.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana describes a qualified person—learned in all disciplines and skilled in dharma and artha—who will oversee and conduct the king’s Aśvamedha horse according to scriptural procedure, ensuring the rite proceeds correctly.