Mahabharata — Anushasana Parva, Shloka 10

Devanagari script

यजस्व विविधीर्यज्निर्बन्वन्नैः स्वाप्तदक्षिणै: । ययातिरिव राजेन्द्र श्रद्धादमपुर:सर:

Transliteration

vaiśampāyana uvāca | yajasva vividhair yajñair bahvannaiḥ svāptadakṣiṇaiḥ | yayātir iva rājendra śraddhā-dama-puraḥsaraḥ ||

Translation

毗湿摩波耶那说：“大王，当行种种祭祀，备足丰盛食供，并以充足的达克希那（祭礼酬赠）施与司祭者。如同耶耶提王一般，让你的敬祭由信心与自制所引领。”

Word by Word

• यजस्व: perform sacrifice; worship
• Type: Verb
• Root: यज्
• Form: लोट् (imperative), परस्मैपद, मध्यम, एकवचन

• विविधैः: with various (kinds of)
• विविधैः: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विविध
• Form: पुं/नपुं, तृतीया, बहुवचन

• यज्ञैः: by/with sacrifices
• यज्ञैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: यज्ञ
• Form: पुं, तृतीया, बहुवचन

• बह्वन्नैः: with much food/grain
• बह्वन्नैः: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बह्वन्न
• Form: पुं/नपुं, तृतीया, बहुवचन

• स्वाप्तदक्षिणैः: with duly-given/adequate fees (dakṣiṇās)
• स्वाप्तदक्षिणैः: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्वाप्तदक्षिण
• Form: पुं/नपुं, तृतीया, बहुवचन

• ययातिः: Yayāti
• Type: Noun
• Root: ययाति
• Form: पुं, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• इव: like; as
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव

• राजेन्द्र: O best of kings
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजेन्द्र
• Form: पुं, सम्बोधन, एकवचन

• श्रद्धा: with faith
• श्रद्धा: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रद्धा
• Form: स्त्री, तृतीया, एकवचन

• दमपुरःसरः: having self-control in front (i.e., preceded by restraint)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दमपुरःसर
• Form: पुं, प्रथमा, एकवचन

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Yayāti
• Rājendra (the addressed king)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

A king should uphold dharma through properly conducted sacrifices supported by generosity (adequate dakṣiṇā) and inner discipline—faith (śraddhā) and self-control (dama) must guide outward ritual.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana addresses the king and urges him to perform many kinds of well-provisioned sacrifices, invoking Yayāti as an exemplary royal model whose ritual life was characterized by faith and restraint.