Mahabharata · 2.22.29–30
॥
Devanāgarī
तत्रैनं नागराः सर्वे सत्कारेणाभ्ययुस् तदा ॥
ब्राह्मणप्रमुखा राजन् विधिदृष्टेन कर्मणा ॥
बन्धनाद् विप्रमुक्ताश् च राजानो मधुसूदनम् ॥
पूजयाम् आसुर् ऊचुश् च सान्त्वपूर्वम् इदं वचः ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
tatrainaṃ nāgarāḥ sarve satkāreṇābhyayus tadā ||
brāhmaṇapramukhā rājan vidhidṛṣṭena karmaṇā ||
bandhanād vipramuktāś ca rājāno madhusūdanam ||
pūjayām āsur ūcuś ca sāntvapūrvam idaṃ vacaḥ ||
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
तत्र एनं नागराः सर्वेtatra enaṃ nāgarāḥ sarvethere, all the citizens
सत्कारेण अभ्ययुस् तदाsatkāreṇa abhyayus tadāwith honors welcomed him then,
ब्राह्मण-प्रमुखा राजन्brāhmaṇa-pramukhā rājanled by brahmins, O king,
विधि-दृष्टेन कर्मणाvidhi-dṛṣṭena karmaṇāwith the rite prescribed [by scripture];
बन्धनाद् विप्रमुक्ताश् चbandhanād vipramuktāś caand freed from bonds
राजानो मधुसूदनम्rājāno madhusūdanamthe kings honored Madhusudana
पूजयाम् आसुर् ऊचुश् चpūjayām āsur ūcuś caand spoke,
सान्त्व-पूर्वम् इदं वचःsāntva-pūrvam idaṃ vacaḥwith kindness, this word:
तत्रैनंtatrainaṃoriginal form "tatrainaṃ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
सत्कारेणाभ्ययुस्satkāreṇābhyayusoriginal form "satkāreṇābhyayus", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
ब्राह्मणप्रमुखाbrāhmaṇapramukhāoriginal form "brāhmaṇapramukhā", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
विधिदृष्टेनvidhidṛṣṭenaoriginal form "vidhidṛṣṭena", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
सान्त्वपूर्वम्sāntvapūrvamoriginal form "sāntvapūrvam", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
Translation
There all the citizens, led by the brahmins, welcomed him with honors, O king, according to the rite prescribed by scripture. And the kings, freed from their bonds, honored Madhusudana and spoke to him with kindness these words:
Version
54761fe9fd4f · published Jul 16, 2026, 3:28:50 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
The citizens render honor to the One who delivered them from the tyrant -- yet the greeting is led by brahmins, and the honor is paid "by the rite prescribed by scripture." It is telling that the joy of deliverance is at once given a sacred form: the people's gratitude pours out not as mere commotion but as due order. The verse teaches that right feeling seeks a right expression; the Lord's reception is pleasing when carried out in accordance with scripture, by the hands of those who know it.