yakskhamana aswamedhena jnatidroha jihasaya raja labdhadhano dadhyou nanyatra karadandayo.
Synonyms
yakshamana—desiring to perform; aswamedhena—by the Horsesacrlfic ceremony; jnatidroha—fighting with kinsmen; jihasaya—for getting free; labdhhadhano—for getting some wealth; dadhyou—thought about it; nanyantra—not otherwise; kardandayo—taxes and fines.
Translation
Just at this time the king Yudhisthira was contemplating of performing horse sacrifice ceremony to get free from the sins of fight. with kinsmen. But he became anxious to get some wealth as there was no surplus fund except tax collection and realisation of fines.
Purport
As the Brahmins, the Vipras had a right to be subsidised by the state similarly the state executive head had the right to collect taxes and fines from the citizens. After the battle of Kurukshetra the state treasury was exhausted and therefore there was no surplus fund except the fund from tax collection and fine realised. Such fund was sufficient only for the state budget and having no excess fund the king was anxious to get some wealth otherwise to perform the horse sacrifice ceremony. Maharaj Yudhisthir desired to perform this sacrifice under instruction of kinsmen from Bhismadev in the Kurukshetra fight.