Shloka 38

Devanagari script

यक्षस्य ब्रुवतो राजन्नुपक्रम्प तदा स्थित: । विरूपाक्षं महाकायं यक्षं तालसमुच्छुयम्‌

Transliteration

yakṣasya bruvato rājann upakramya tadā sthitaḥ | virūpākṣaṁ mahākāyaṁ yakṣaṁ tālasamucchrayam ||

Translation

قال فايشَمبايانا: «يا أيها الملك، وبينما كان الياكشا يتكلم، تقدّم هو (السامع) فوقف قريبًا منه—فرأى الياكشا ذا عينين غريبتين مهيبتين، وجسدٍ عظيم، وقامةٍ تعلو كأنها نخلةٌ باسقة.»

Word by Word

• यक्षस्य: of the Yaksha
• यक्षस्य: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: यक्ष
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• ब्रुवतः: while (he) was speaking / of (him) speaking
• ब्रुवतः: Adhikarana
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू
• Form: शतृ (present active participle), Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Singular

• राजन्: O king
• राजन्: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन्
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• उपक्रम्य: having approached
• उपक्रम्य: Karma
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप-क्रम्
• Form: ल्यप् (absolutive/gerund), Parasmaipada (usage), Non-finite

• तदा: then
• तदा: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा

• स्थितः: stood / remained
• स्थितः: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था
• Form: क्त (past passive participle, used adjectivally), Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• विरूपाक्षम्: having strange/ugly eyes (one)
• विरूपाक्षम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विरूपाक्ष
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• महाकायम्: huge-bodied
• महाकायम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महाकाय
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• यक्षम्: the Yaksha
• यक्षम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: यक्ष
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• तालसमुच्छ्रयम्: as tall as a palm-tree / palm-tree-high
• तालसमुच्छ्रयम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ताल-समुच्छ्रय
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

वैशग्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśaṃpāyana
• Yakṣa
• King (Janamejaya, implied by address 'rājan')
• tāla (palmyra tree)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse sets the ethical tone of a dharma-test: one must approach the unknown with steadiness and attention, recognizing power without losing composure—preparing for discerning questions and truthful answers.

What is happening in the narrative?

As the Yakṣa speaks, the protagonist moves closer and stands before him, observing his fearsome, towering form—an encounter that frames the impending dialogue and moral examination.