Srimad Bhagavatam — Navama Skandha, Shloka 24
Pūru-vaṁśa, Duṣmanta–Śakuntalā, and the Rise of Mahārāja Bharata
चक्रं दक्षिणहस्तेऽस्य पद्मकोशोऽस्य पादयो: । ईजे महाभिषेकेण सोऽभिषिक्तोऽधिराड् विभु: ॥ २४ ॥ पञ्चपञ्चाशता मेध्यैर्गङ्गायामनु वाजिभि: । मामतेयं पुरोधाय यमुनामनु च प्रभु: ॥ २५ ॥ अष्टसप्ततिमेध्याश्वान् बबन्ध प्रददद् वसु । भरतस्य हि दौष्मन्तेरग्नि: साचीगुणे चित: । सहस्रं बद्वशो यस्मिन् ब्राह्मणा गा विभेजिरे ॥ २६ ॥
cakraṁ dakṣiṇa-haste ’sya padma-kośo ’sya pādayoḥ īje mahābhiṣekeṇa so ’bhiṣikto ’dhirāḍ vibhuḥ
杜什曼塔之子摩诃罗阇婆罗多，右手掌有主奎师那之轮印，足底有莲华旋纹。以盛大“摩诃灌顶”祭礼敬拜至上人格神，他受灌顶而为大帝，统御寰宇。其后以婆利古牟尼之子玛玛提耶为祭司，在恒河岸行五十五次马祭，又在亚穆纳河岸自普拉亚伽汇流处至源头行七十八次马祭。他于胜地安立祭火，广施财宝于婆罗门；所施之牛多至千千婆罗门各得一“巴德瓦”(13,084)为分。
As indicated here by the words dauṣmanter agniḥ sācī-guṇe citaḥ, Bharata, the son of Mahārāja Duṣmanta, arranged for many ritualistic ceremonies all over the world, especially all over India on the banks of the Ganges and Yamunā, from the mouth to the source, and all such sacrifices were performed in very distinguished places. As stated in Bhagavad-gītā (3.9) , yajñārthāt karmaṇo ’nyatra loko ’yaṁ karma-bandhanaḥ: “Work done as a sacrifice for Viṣṇu has to be performed; otherwise work binds one to this material world.” Everyone should engage in the performance of yajña, and the sacrificial fire should be ignited everywhere, the entire purpose being to make people happy, prosperous and progressive in spiritual life. Of course, these things were possible before the beginning of Kali-yuga because there were qualified brāhmaṇas who could perform such yajñas. For the present, however, the Brahma-vaivarta Purāṇa enjoins:
FAQs
This verse describes a king being worshiped through the mahābhiṣeka, the great consecration that formally establishes him as adhirāṭ (emperor) according to Vedic royal tradition.
Such emblems indicate divine sanction and auspicious rulership; the Bhagavatam highlights these signs to show the king’s extraordinary, empowered status.
Leadership should be grounded in sacred responsibility—accepting authority only with humility, proper sanction, and a duty to protect and uplift others.