Mahabharata · 2.12.4–5
॥
Devanāgarī
युधिष्ठिरस् ततः सर्वान् अर्चयित्वा सभासदः ॥
प्रत्यर्चितश् च तैः सर्वैर् यज्ञायैव मनो दधे ॥
स राजसूयं राजेन्द्र कुरूणाम् ऋषभः क्रतुम् ॥
आहर्तुं प्रवणं चक्रे मनः संचिन्त्य सो ऽसकृत् ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
yudhiṣṭhiras tataḥ sarvān arcayitvā sabhāsadaḥ ||
pratyarcitaś ca taiḥ sarvair yajñāyaiva mano dadhe ||
sa rājasūyaṃ rājendra kurūṇām ṛṣabhaḥ kratum ||
āhartuṃ pravaṇaṃ cakre manaḥ saṃcintya so 'sakṛt ||
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
युधिष्ठिरः ततः सर्वान्yudhiṣṭhiraḥ tataḥ sarvānYudhishthira then, all
अर्चयित्वा सभा-सदःarcayitvā sabhā-sadaḥhaving honored those seated in the hall,
प्रत्यर्चितः च तैः सर्वैःpratyarcitaḥ ca taiḥ sarvaiḥand honored in turn by all of them,
यज्ञाय एव मनः दधेyajñāya eva manaḥ dadheset his mind on the sacrifice alone;
सः राजसूयम् राज-इन्द्रsaḥ rājasūyam rāja-indrahe the Rajasuya, O lord of kings,
कुरूणाम् ऋषभः क्रतुम्kurūṇām ṛṣabhaḥ kratumthe bull of the Kurus, the sacrifice,
आहर्तुम् प्रवणम् चक्रेāhartum pravaṇam cakremade his mind inclined to perform,
मनः संचिन्त्य सः असकृत्manaḥ saṃcintya saḥ asakṛthaving pondered it, not once;
युधिष्ठिरस्yudhiṣṭhirasoriginal form "yudhiṣṭhiras", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
सभासदःsabhāsadaḥoriginal form "sabhāsadaḥ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
प्रत्यर्चितश्pratyarcitaśoriginal form "pratyarcitaś", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
सर्वैर्sarvairoriginal form "sarvair", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
यज्ञायैवyajñāyaivaoriginal form "yajñāyaiva", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
मनोmanooriginal form "mano", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
सsaoriginal form "sa", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
राजसूयंrājasūyaṃoriginal form "rājasūyaṃ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
राजेन्द्रrājendraoriginal form "rājendra", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
आहर्तुंāhartuṃoriginal form "āhartuṃ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
प्रवणंpravaṇaṃoriginal form "pravaṇaṃ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
सोsooriginal form "so", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
ऽसकृत्'sakṛtoriginal form "'sakṛt", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
Translation
"Then Yudhishthira, having honored all those seated in the hall and being honored by them in turn, set his mind on the sacrifice; the bull of the Kurus, having pondered it not once, inclined his mind to perform the Rajasuya, O lord of kings."
Version
dd4aa3864d94 · published Jul 16, 2026, 3:13:23 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
Here resolve ripens not by impulse but by reflection done "not once." It is telling that the king does not undertake a great deed in haste, but weighs it many times over: a good undertaking is tested by time. Thus the scripture shows unhurried firmness; and further it is revealed what moves Yudhishthira.