Shloka 10

Aśvamedha-saṃbhāra: Return of the Horse, Auspicious Timing, and Construction of the Yajña Enclosure

Devanagari script

समीपे च महाबाहुमाचष्ट च मम प्रभो । कुरु कार्याणि कौन्तेय हयमेधार्थसिद्धये

Transliteration

samīpe ca mahābāhum ācakṣṭa ca mama prabho | kuru kāryāṇi kaunteya hayamedhārthasiddhaye ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana nói: “Và người ấy còn tâu: ‘Tâu chúa thượng, Arjuna, bậc dũng sĩ tay mạnh, nay đã đến gần.’ Vì thế, hỡi con của Kuntī, hãy khởi sự những việc chuẩn bị cần thiết để mục đích của lễ tế Aśvamedha được viên thành.”

Word by Word

• समीपे: near, in proximity
• समीपे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: समीप
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

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

• महाबाहुम्: the mighty-armed (one)
• महाबाहुम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महाबाहु
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• आचष्ट: told, reported
• Type: Verb
• Root: चक्ष्
• Form: Perfect (Paroksha-bhuta), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• च: also/and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• मम: of me, my
• मम: Shashthi-sambandha
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: Genitive, Singular

• प्रभो: O lord
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रभु
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• कुरु: do, perform
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ
• Form: Imperative, 2nd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• कार्याणि: tasks, things to be done
• कार्याणि: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: कार्य
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Plural

• कौन्तेय: O son of Kunti
• Type: Noun
• Root: कौन्तेय
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• हयमेधार्थसिद्धये: for the accomplishment of the purpose of the horse-sacrifice
• हयमेधार्थसिद्धये: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: हयमेधार्थसिद्धि
• Form: Feminine, Dative, Singular

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Arjuna
• Yudhiṣṭhira (Kaunteya)
• Aśvamedha (horse-sacrifice)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse emphasizes timely performance of one’s royal and ritual duties: when the needed support (Arjuna’s presence) is secured, the king should proceed with the required actions to complete a dharmic undertaking (the Aśvamedha) successfully.

What is happening in the narrative?

A messenger/report informs the king (Yudhiṣṭhira) that Arjuna has come close/returned nearby; consequently, Yudhiṣṭhira is urged to commence the necessary arrangements to bring the Aśvamedha sacrifice to its intended completion.