Shloka 36

राजपूजाविधानम् / Royal Reception Protocols during Āśvamedha Preparations

Devanagari script

स यज्ञ: शुशुभे तस्य साक्षाद्‌ देवर्षिसंकुल: । गन्धर्वगणसंगीत: प्रनृत्तो5प्सरसां गणै:

Transliteration

sa yajñaḥ śuśubhe tasya sākṣād devarṣi-saṅkulaḥ | gandharva-gaṇa-saṅgītaḥ pranṛtto ’psarasāṃ gaṇaiḥ ||

Translation

毗舍摩波耶那说道：他的祭祀光辉灿然，宛如亲见众多天界仙圣（天仙圣贤）云集其间。其盛美又因甘达婆众的清妙乐音与阿普萨罗群的舞姿而更增辉耀——这表明仪礼与神圣秩序相应，亦与王者之德相称。

Word by Word

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

• यज्ञः: sacrifice; yajña
• यज्ञः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: यज्ञ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• शुशुभे: shone; was splendid
• Type: Verb
• Root: शुभ्
• Form: Perfect (Liṭ), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• तस्य: of him/of that
• तस्य: Sambandha
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Singular

• साक्षात्: directly; as if present
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: साक्षात्

• देवर्षि-संकुलः: crowded with divine seers
• देवर्षि-संकुलः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: देवर्षि-संकुल
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• गन्धर्व-गण-संगीतः: having music of the hosts of Gandharvas
• गन्धर्व-गण-संगीतः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गन्धर्व-गण-संगीत
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• प्रनृत्तः: danced; performed dancing
• प्रनृत्तः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र-नृत्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular, kta (past passive participle)

• अप्सरसाम्: of the Apsarases
• अप्सरसाम्: Sambandha
• Type: Noun
• Root: अप्सरस्
• Form: Feminine, Genitive, Plural

• गणैः: by groups/hosts
• गणैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: गण
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśaṃpāyana
• Yajña (sacrifice)
• Devarṣis (divine seers)
• Gandharvas
• Apsarases
• Yudhiṣṭhira (implied by context: 'tasya' referring to his sacrifice)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

A righteous royal sacrifice is portrayed as gaining legitimacy and radiance when it aligns with dharma and proper ritual order; the presence (or vivid depiction) of divine seers, Gandharva music, and Apsara dance symbolizes cosmic approval and the ethical fitness of the king’s public act.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśaṃpāyana describes the splendor of Yudhiṣṭhira’s sacrifice: it appears thronged with divine sages, accompanied by Gandharva musical performances and Apsarases dancing, thereby intensifying the grandeur and auspicious atmosphere of the rite.