जनमेजयस्य राजर्षेः स तद् यज्ञसदस् तदा ॥
विवेश शिष्यैः सहितो वेदवेदाङ्गपारगैः ॥
तत्र राजानम् आसीनं ददर्श जनमेजयम् ॥
वृतं सदस्यैर् बहुभिर् देवैर् इव पुरंदरम् ॥
तथा मूर्धावसिक्तैश् च नानाजनपदेश्वरैः ॥
ऋत्विग्भिर् देवकल्पैश् च कुशलैर् यज्ञसंस्तरे ॥
जनमेजयस् तु राजर्षिर् दृष्ट्वा तम् ऋषिम् आगतम् ॥
सगणो ऽब्युद्ययौ तूर्णं प्रीत्या भरतसत्तमः ॥
काञ्चनं विष्टरं तस्मै सदस्यानुमते प्रभुः ॥
आसनं कल्पयाम् आस यथा शक्रो बृहस्पतेः ॥
तत्रोपविष्टं वरदं देवर्षिगणपूजितम् ॥
पूजयाम् आस राजेन्द्रः शास्त्रदृष्टेन कर्मणा ॥
पाद्यम् आचमनीयं च अर्घ्यं गां च विधानतः ॥
पितामहाय कृष्णाय तदर्हाय न्यवेदयत् ॥
प्रतिगृह्य च तां पूजां पाण्डवाज् जनमेजयात् ॥
गां चैव समनुज्ञाय व्यासः प्रीतो ऽभवत् तदा ॥
तथा संपूजयित्वा तं यत्नेन प्रपितामहम् ॥
उपोपविश्य प्रीतात्मा पर्यपृच्छद् अनामयम् ॥
भगवान् अपि तं दृष्ट्वा कुशलं प्रतिवेद्य च ॥
सदस्यैः पूजितः सर्वैः सदस्यान् अभ्यपूजयत् ॥
janamejayasya rājarṣeḥ sa tad yajñasadas tadā ||
viveśa śiṣyaiḥ sahito vedavedāṅgapāragaiḥ ||
tatra rājānam āsīnaṃ dadarśa janamejayam ||
vṛtaṃ sadasyair bahubhir devair iva puraṃdaram ||
tathā mūrdhāvasiktaiś ca nānājanapadeśvaraiḥ ||
ṛtvigbhir devakalpaiś ca kuśalair yajñasaṃstare ||
janamejayas tu rājarṣir dṛṣṭvā tam ṛṣim āgatam ||
sagaṇo 'byudyayau tūrṇaṃ prītyā bharatasattamaḥ ||
kāñcanaṃ viṣṭaraṃ tasmai sadasyānumate prabhuḥ ||
āsanaṃ kalpayām āsa yathā śakro bṛhaspateḥ ||
tatropaviṣṭaṃ varadaṃ devarṣigaṇapūjitam ||
pūjayām āsa rājendraḥ śāstradṛṣṭena karmaṇā ||
pādyam ācamanīyaṃ ca arghyaṃ gāṃ ca vidhānataḥ ||
pitāmahāya kṛṣṇāya tadarhāya nyavedayat ||
pratigṛhya ca tāṃ pūjāṃ pāṇḍavāj janamejayāt ||
gāṃ caiva samanujñāya vyāsaḥ prīto 'bhavat tadā ||
tathā saṃpūjayitvā taṃ yatnena prapitāmaham ||
upopaviśya prītātmā paryapṛcchad anāmayam ||
bhagavān api taṃ dṛṣṭvā kuśalaṃ prativedya ca ||
sadasyaiḥ pūjitaḥ sarvaiḥ sadasyān abhyapūjayat ||
"He, together with disciples who had mastered the Vedas and the vedangas, entered the assembly of that royal sage Janamejaya's sacrifice. There he saw King Janamejaya seated, surrounded by many members of the assembly, as Purandara (Indra) is surrounded by the gods; and also by anointed rulers of various lands and by priests equal to gods, skilled in the ordering of the sacrifice. The royal sage Janamejaya, seeing that sage who had arrived, together with his retinue, most excellent of the Bharatas, rose at once with love to go and meet him. With the assembly's assent the lord had a golden seat -- a throne -- prepared for him, as Shakra prepared one for Brihaspati. The seated one, a bestower of boons, honored by the host of divine sages, the lord of kings honored with the rite prescribed in the shastras. Water for the feet, water for rinsing the mouth, the honored offering (arghya), and a cow, as is proper, he presented to the grandfather Krishna (Vyasa), who deserved it. Having accepted that homage from the Pandava, that is, from Janamejaya, and having permitted the cow to be released, Vyasa was then pleased. Thus, having carefully honored that great-grandfather of his and, with a joyful heart, having sat down close by him, the king asked after his well-being. And the lord [Vyasa], having seen him, having reported his own well-being, and honored by all the members of the assembly, himself honored the members of the assembly."
8cf9e7927513 · published Jul 12, 2026, 3:23:57 PM UTC
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Here appears the image of the honor due to a sage. It is significant that the mighty king, surrounded by rulers of lands and priests equal to gods, at Vyasa's arrival rises at once and himself waits upon him -- washing his feet, offering the arghya and a cow. Here is a foundation of Vedic culture: however great a king may be in power, he bows before the spiritual teacher; worldly might honors wisdom as the higher thing. Note the precision of the rite -- "with the rite prescribed in the shastras": the honoring of the righteous is not an arbitrary impulse but is performed according to the ordained form, for even in love propriety is fitting. Beautiful too is the mutual humility: Vyasa, though the greatest of all, accepts the honors, but then "himself honored the members of the assembly" -- the truly great does not glory in honor received, but renders honor to others in turn. Thus the scripture presents a model of the meeting of power and wisdom: the king humbles himself, the sage is gentle, and the assembly is bound together by mutual reverence, befitting so sacred an hour.