Shloka 28

Śaṅkha–Likhita Upākhyāna: Daṇḍa, Confession, and the Purification of Kingship (शङ्ख-लिखितोपाख्यानम्)

Devanagari script

हुत्वा तस्मिन्‌ यज्ञवद्दावथारीन्‌ पापान्मुक्तो राजसिंहस्तरस्वी | प्राणान्‌ हुत्वा चावभूथे रणे स वाजिग्रीवो मोदते देवलोके

Transliteration

vaiśampāyana uvāca | hutvā tasmin yajñavad dāvathārīn pāpān mukto rājasiṁhas tarasvī | prāṇān hutvā cāvabhūthe raṇe sa vājigrīvo modate devaloke |

Translation

毗湿摩波耶那说：他在那里仿佛行一场祭祀，将诸敌作为供献投入祭火；那位王中雄狮、威力无比者因此脱离罪垢。又将自身的生命气息亦作供献，并在战场上如同完成祭祀终礼的沐浴（阿婆婆利他，avabhṛtha）一般，遂告圆满；那位马颈英雄如今在天界欢悦。此段以吠陀祭仪的意象来描绘战争：兵器与战车化为祭具，鲜血如酥油，战场即为火坛——暗示守法尽责、纪律严明的征战与自我奉献，可被视作一场冷峻的“祭献”，终得天界之报。

Word by Word

• हुत्वा: having offered (as oblation)
• Type: Verb
• Root: हु (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund)

• तस्मिन्: in that (place/act)
• तस्मिन्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Locative, Singular

• यज्ञवत्: like a sacrifice
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: वत्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (comparative adverb)

• दावथारीन्: enemies/foes (as oblations)
• दावथारीन्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: दावथारि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• पापात्: from sin
• पापात्: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Ablative, Singular

• मुक्तः: freed, released
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मुच् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• राजसिंहः: lion among kings
• राजसिंहः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजसिंह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• तरस्वी: swift, impetuous, vigorous
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तरस्विन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• प्राणान्: life-breaths, life
• प्राणान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्राण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• हुत्वा: having offered (sacrificed)
• Type: Verb
• Root: हु (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund)

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (निपात)
• Form: conjunction

• अवभूथे: in the avabhṛtha (final bath/rite)
• अवभूथे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: अवभृथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• रणे: in battle
• रणे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: रण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• सः: he
• सः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• वाजिग्रीवः: one whose neck is like a horse (Hayagriva)
• वाजिग्रीवः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाजिग्रीव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• मोदते: rejoices
• Type: Verb
• Root: मुद् (धातु)
• Form: Present, Ātmanepada, 3rd, Singular

• देवलोके: in the world of the gods
• देवलोके: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवलोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• rājasiṁha (lion among kings; heroic king)
• vājigrīva (horse-necked hero / Hayagrīva epithet)
• devaloka (world of the gods)
• yajña (sacrifice)
• avabhūtha (concluding bath of a sacrifice)
• raṇa (battlefield)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse presents a moral-theological metaphor: when a warrior fights as a disciplined act of duty and ultimately offers even his own life, the violent arena is reimagined as a sacrificial rite culminating in purification (freedom from pāpa) and attainment of devaloka. It emphasizes intention, duty, and self-offering rather than mere aggression.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana describes a powerful king/hero who, in battle, ‘offers’ enemies like oblations in a sacrifice; then, by giving up his own life, he completes the sacrifice’s final rite (avabhūtha) and is said to rejoice in heaven.