इमां च तावद् धर्म्यां त्वं पौराणीं शृणु मे कथाम् ॥
परिश्रुतां विशालाक्ष कीर्तयिष्यामि याम् अहम् ॥
व्युषिताश्व इति ख्यातो बभूव किल पार्थिवः ॥
पुरा परमधर्मिष्ठः पूरोर् वंशविवर्धनः ॥
तस्मिंश् च यजमाने वै धर्मात्मनि महात्मनि ॥
उपागमंस् ततो देवाः सेन्द्राः सह महर्षिभिः ॥
अमाद्यद् इन्द्रः सोमेन दक्षिणाभिर् द्विजातयः ॥
व्युषिताश्वस्य राजर्षेस् ततो यज्ञे महात्मनः ॥
imāṃ ca tāvad dharmyāṃ tvaṃ paurāṇīṃ śṛṇu me kathām ||
pariśrutāṃ viśālākṣa kīrtayiṣyāmi yām aham ||
vyuṣitāśva iti khyāto babhūva kila pārthivaḥ ||
purā paramadharmiṣṭhaḥ pūror vaṃśavivardhanaḥ ||
tasmiṃś ca yajamāne vai dharmātmani mahātmani ||
upāgamaṃs tato devāḥ sendrāḥ saha maharṣibhiḥ ||
amādyad indraḥ somena dakṣiṇābhir dvijātayaḥ ||
vyuṣitāśvasya rājarṣes tato yajñe mahātmanaḥ ||
"And hear from me this ancient tale, in accord with dharma, heard by me, o wide-eyed one, which I shall recount. There was, they say, a king renowned as Vyushitashva — of old, supremely righteous, a continuer of the line of Puru. And when that righteous, great-souled one was performing a sacrifice, the gods came, headed by Indra, together with the great sages; and Indra grew intoxicated with soma, and the brahmins with gifts, at the sacrifice of that royal sage Vyushitashva, great of soul".
efccf545359a · published Jul 12, 2026, 4:41:49 PM UTC
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Here Kunti begins the instructive tale of Vyushitashva in order to support her argument with an example. It is telling that she introduces it as 'an ancient tale in accord with dharma' (dharmyāṃ paurāṇīṃ kathām): a wise wife argues not from willfulness but by the testimony of tradition. In this lies a good custom: to ground one's word in an example from scripture and antiquity rather than in feeling alone. Telling too is the grandeur of Vyushitashva's sacrifice: the very gods, with Indra, descend upon it — a sign of the king's supreme righteousness. Thus scripture, through Kunti's mouth, leads into a story that will reveal the power of austerity and fidelity, prevailing even over death.