Shloka 22

Devanagari script

स हय: पृथिवीं राजन्‌ प्रदक्षिणमवर्तत । ससारोत्तरत: पूर्व तन्निबोध महीपते

Transliteration

sa hayaḥ pṛthivīṃ rājan pradakṣiṇam avartata | sa sāra uttarataḥ pūrva tan nibodha mahīpate ||

Translation

毗舍波耶那说道：“大王，那匹祭马开始以吉祥的右旋之势环行大地。它先循北方而行，继而转向东方前进。国土之主啊，请明白此事。”

Word by Word

• सः: he/that (one)
• सः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• हयः: horse
• हयः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: हय
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• पृथिवीम्: the earth
• पृथिवीम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: पृथिवी
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• राजन्: O king
• राजन्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन्
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• प्रदक्षिणम्: clockwise; in circumambulation
• प्रदक्षिणम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रदक्षिण
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• अवर्तत: turned/roamed; went around
• Type: Verb
• Root: वृत्
• Form: Imperfect (Laṅ), 3rd, Singular, Ātmanepada

• ससार: went; moved; wandered
• Type: Verb
• Root: सृ
• Form: Perfect (Liṭ), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• उत्तरतः: from the north; northwards
• उत्तरतः: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: उत्तर
• Form: Directional adverb (ablatival form used adverbially)

• पूर्वम्: to the east; eastwards
• पूर्वम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पूर्व
• Form: Adverb

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

• निबोध: know; understand; listen
• Type: Verb
• Root: बुध्
• Form: Imperative (Loṭ), 2nd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• महीपते: O lord of the earth (king)
• महीपते: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: महीपति
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• the Aśvamedha horse (hayaḥ)
• earth (pṛthivī)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights auspicious, dharma-aligned royal action: the Aśvamedha horse moves in a ‘pradakṣiṇa’ (rightward) course, signaling that sovereignty and ritual power are to be exercised under sacred order and proper observance, not mere force.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana describes the movement of the Aśvamedha horse as it roams the world in an auspicious circuit, proceeding along northern and eastern directions—setting the stage for encounters that test and establish the performing king’s authority.