Shloka 38

अर्जुनदुःखहेतुप्रश्नः — Inquiry into the cause of Arjuna’s recurring hardship

Book 14, Chapter 89

Devanagari script

पूजयित्वा महाराज यथाविधि महाद्युति: । भ्रातृभि: सहितो राजा प्रास्थापयदरिंदम:

Transliteration

vaiśampāyana uvāca |

pūjayitvā mahārāja yathāvidhi mahādyutiḥ |

bhrātṛbhiḥ sahito rājā prāsthāpayad arindamaḥ ||

Translation

毗湿摩波耶那说道：“大王啊，光辉灿然的国王依照正当仪轨恭敬礼敬了他们，便与诸弟一道，按礼正式送他们出发。”此偈以劝诫之调，彰显王者之法：以合乎礼制的款待、对可敬之宾的敬重，以及在礼拜式迎接之后井然有序的辞送。

Word by Word

• पूजयित्वा: having worshipped/honoured
• Type: Verb
• Root: पूज् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा (absolutive), कर्तरि, non-finite

• महाराज: O great king
• Type: Noun
• Root: महाराज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• यथा: as, according to
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)

• विधि: in the prescribed manner/rite
• विधि: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: विधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• महाद्युतिः: the very radiant one
• महाद्युतिः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महाद्युति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• भ्रातृभिः: with (his) brothers
• भ्रातृभिः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: भ्रातृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• सहितः: accompanied, together with
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सहित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• राजा: the king
• राजा: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• प्रास्थापयत्: sent forth, dismissed, saw off
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-स्था (धातु) / प्रस्थापय् (णिजन्त धातु-रूप)
• Form: लङ् (imperfect), परस्मैपद, Third, Singular, कर्तरि

• अरिंदमः: subduer of enemies
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अरिंदम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Yudhiṣṭhira
• the brothers (Pāṇḍavas)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse underscores rāja-dharma through yathāvidhi (rule-governed) honor: a righteous king shows reverence, performs proper hospitality, and concludes relations with orderly, respectful leave-taking—ethics expressed as disciplined conduct rather than mere sentiment.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana narrates that the radiant king (Yudhiṣṭhira), together with his brothers, duly honored the departing party and then formally sent them on their way, marking a courteous conclusion to their visit.