Canto 1 - Boyhood
Bāla-kāṇḍa
Chapter 14: The Aśvamedha Sacrifice
Text 1.14.17
अन्नं हि विधिवत्स्वादु प्रशंसन्ति द्विजर्षभाः।
अहो तृप्ताः स्म भद्रं त इति शुश्राव राघवः॥
annaṁ hi vidhivat svādu praśaṁsanti dvija-rṣabhāḥ
aho tṛptāḥ sma bhadraṁ ta iti śuśrāva rāghavaḥ
annam hi = the food; vidhivat = was decorated; svādu = and tasty; praśaṁsanti = praised; dvija-rṣabhāḥ = the best of the twiceborn; aho = oh; tṛptāḥ sma = we are satisfied with this; bhadram = auspiciousness; te = unto you; iti = this; śuśrāva = heard; rāghavaḥ = Daśaratha, the descendant of Raghu.
The food was decorated and tasty. [Indeed,] the best of the twiceborn praised, “Oh, we are satisfied with this! Auspiciousness unto you!” Daśaratha, the descendant of Raghu, heard this.
The best of the twice-born praised, “The food is [prepared] according to the rules and regulations. It is also tasty. We are satisfied. Oh, we can’t even describe [our happiness]!”
[Actually,] texts 11 to the first half of text 17 [of this chapter] are statements of praise [by the brāhmaṇas].
King Daśaratha, the descendant of Raghu, heard this praise in accordance with a scriptural injunction that the sponsor of a sacrifice should hear the [genuine] praise of brāhmaṇas [about the distribution of grains].