Shloka 38

Adhyāya 33 — Yudhiṣṭhira’s Post-Conflict Remorse and Inquiry on Āśrama Discipline (शोक-विमर्शः, आश्रम-जिज्ञासा)

Devanagari script

अश्वमेधो महायज्ञ: प्रायश्षित्तमुदाह्मतम्‌ । तमाहर महाराज विपाप्मैवं भविष्यसि

Transliteration

aśvamedho mahāyajñaḥ prāyaścittam udāhṛtam | tam āhara mahārāja vipāpmā evaṁ bhaviṣyasi ||

Translation

毗耶娑说道：“阿湿婆梅陀（马祭）这大祭，已被宣示为赎罪之法。因此，伟大的君王啊，当行此祭；完成此仪，你便能脱离罪垢。”

Word by Word

• अश्वमेधः: the Aśvamedha (horse-sacrifice)
• अश्वमेधः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अश्वमेध
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• महायज्ञः: the great sacrifice
• महायज्ञः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: महायज्ञ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• प्रायश्चित्तम्: expiation
• प्रायश्चित्तम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रायश्चित्त
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• उदाहृतम्: is declared/said
• उदाहृतम्: Karma
• Type: Verb
• Root: उद्-आ-हृ
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular, Past passive participle (क्त)

• तम्: that (sacrifice/expiation)
• तम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• आहर: perform/undertake
• आहर: Karma
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-हृ
• Form: Imperative, Second, Singular, Parasmaipada

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

• विपाप्मा: sinless/free from sin
• विपाप्मा: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि-पाप्मन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• एवम्: thus/in this way
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम्

• भविष्यसि: you will become
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू
• Form: Simple future (लृट्), Second, Singular, Parasmaipada

Speaker

व्यास उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vyāsa
• Mahārāja (the king addressed)
• Aśvamedha (horse-sacrifice)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Serious moral and ritual impurity can require formal prāyaścitta; here Vyāsa presents the Aśvamedha as a royal expiation that restores the king to purity and dharmic standing.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Śānti Parva’s post-war setting, Vyāsa addresses a king burdened by sin or remorse and instructs him to perform the Aśvamedha sacrifice as the prescribed means of purification.