Shloka 18

Āśvamedha-dīkṣā-nirdeśaḥ — Scheduling the Initiation and Assigning Protection for the Horse

Devanagari script

समनुज्ञाप्य तत्‌ सर्व कृष्णद्वैपायनं नृप: । वासुदेवमथाभ्येत्य वाग्मी वचनमब्रवीत्‌

Transliteration

samanujñāpya tat sarvaṃ kṛṣṇadvaipāyanaṃ nṛpaḥ | vāsudevam athābhyetya vāgmī vacanam abravīt ||

Translation

毗舍波耶那说：他已就一切事宜恭敬地向黑天·岛生者（毗耶娑）请得许可；于是那位国王——辞令娴雅、心志自持——走近婆苏提婆（奎师那），说出了如下言辞。

Word by Word

• समनुज्ञाप्य: having taken permission / having duly asked leave
• समनुज्ञाप्य: Karma
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-अनु-ज्ञा (धातु) → समनुज्ञाप्य (क्त्वान्त/ल्यप्)
• Form: ल्यप् (absolutive/gerund), कर्तरि, —, —, —

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: neuter, accusative, singular

• सर्वम्: all (of it)
• सर्वम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: neuter, accusative, singular

• कृष्णद्वैपायनम्: Krishna-Dvaipayana (Vyasa)
• कृष्णद्वैपायनम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृष्णद्वैपायन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: masculine, accusative, singular

• नृपः: the king
• नृपः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: masculine, nominative, singular

• वासुदेवम्: Vasudeva (Krishna)
• वासुदेवम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: वासुदेव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: masculine, accusative, singular

• अथ: then / now
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ

• अभ्येत्य: having approached
• अभ्येत्य: Karma
• Type: Verb
• Root: अभि-इ (धातु) → अभ्येत्य (क्त्वान्त)
• Form: क्त्वा (absolutive/gerund), कर्तरि, —, —, —

• वाग्मी: eloquent
• वाग्मी: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वाग्मिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: masculine, nominative, singular

• वचनम्: speech / words
• वचनम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: वचन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: neuter, accusative, singular

• अब्रवीत्: said / spoke
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (imperfect), 3rd, singular, परस्मैपद

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Kṛṣṇa-Dvaipāyana Vyāsa
• Vāsudeva (Śrī Kṛṣṇa)
• Yudhiṣṭhira

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights dhārmic procedure and humility: even a king acts after obtaining the sanction of a revered elder (Vyāsa) and then approaches Kṛṣṇa with disciplined, thoughtful speech—modeling ethical leadership grounded in respect and counsel.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana narrates that Yudhiṣṭhira, having received Vyāsa’s permission regarding the matter at hand, goes to Vāsudeva (Kṛṣṇa) and begins to speak, setting up the next portion of dialogue.