Shloka 21

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

Devanagari script

तत्‌ तु सर्व यथान्यायमुक्त: कुरुकुलोदह: । चकार फाल्गुनं चापि संदिदेश हयं प्रति

Transliteration

tattu sarvaṃ yathānyāyam uktaḥ kurukulodvahaḥ | cakāra phālgunaṃ cāpi saṃdideśa hayaṃ prati ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana nói: “Được chỉ dạy đầy đủ theo lẽ phải, Yudhiṣṭhira—bậc đứng đầu dòng Kuru—đã thực hiện mọi việc đúng đắn và hợp nghi. Rồi ngài triệu Phālguna (Arjuna) đến và ban chỉ thị về con ngựa, giao cho chàng nhiệm vụ bảo hộ nó theo yêu cầu của lễ Aśvamedha.”

Word by Word

• तत्: that (act/thing)
• तत्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• तु: but/indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु

• सर्वम्: all (of it)
• सर्वम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

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

• न्यायम्: rule/propriety
• न्यायम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: न्याय
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• उक्तः: having been told/when told
• उक्तः: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: क्त, Masculine, Nominative, Singular, Passive (PPP)

• कुरुकुलोद्वहः: the upholder/ornament of the Kuru line (Yudhiṣṭhira)
• कुरुकुलोद्वहः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुरुकुल-उद्वह
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• चकार: did/performed
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ
• Form: Perfect, 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• फाल्गुनम्: Phālguna (Arjuna)
• फाल्गुनम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: फाल्गुन
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• अपि: also
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि

• संदिदेश: commanded/instructed
• Type: Verb
• Root: दिश्
• Form: Perfect, 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

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

• प्रति: towards/with regard to
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रति

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Yudhiṣṭhira
• Kuru dynasty
• Phālguna (Arjuna)
• Aśvamedha horse

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse emphasizes yathā-nyāya—acting in accordance with what is proper and lawful. Even after war, royal action is framed by dharma and ritual order: the king fulfills prescribed duties carefully and delegates responsibility to a qualified protector.

What is happening in the narrative?

After receiving proper instructions (implicitly from elders/counsel), Yudhiṣṭhira completes the necessary arrangements and then calls Arjuna (Phālguna), assigning him the task of guarding and managing matters related to the sacrificial horse of the Aśvamedha.