Shloka 2

Nahūṣa-Ājagara Saṃvāda: Yudhiṣṭhira’s Definition of Brāhmaṇa and the ‘Vedyam’ Debate

Devanagari script

वैशम्पायन उवाच वनेषु तेष्वेव तु ते नरेन्द्रा: सहार्जुनेनेन्द्रसमेन वीरा: तस्मिंश्व शैलप्रवरे सुरम्ये धनेश्वराक्रीडगता विजहु:,वैशम्पायनजी बोले--राजन्‌! वे नरश्रेष्ठ वीर पाण्डव इन्द्रतुल्य पराक्रमी अर्जुनके साथ उस परम रमणीय शैलशिखरपर कुबेरकी क्रीड़ाभूमिके अन्तर्गत उन्हीं वनोंमें सुखसे विहार करने लगे

Transliteration

vaiśampāyana uvāca | vaneṣu teṣv eva tu te narendrāḥ sahārjunenendrasamena vīrāḥ | tasmiṃś ca śailapravare suramye dhaneśvarākrīḍagatā vijahruḥ ||

Translation

বৈশম্পায়নে ক’লে—হে ৰাজন! সেই নৰশ্ৰেষ্ঠ বীৰ পাণ্ডৱসকল ইন্দ্ৰসম পৰাক্ৰমী অৰ্জুনৰ সৈতে, ধনেশ্বৰ (কুবেৰ)ৰ ক্ৰীড়াভূমিৰ অন্তৰ্গত অতি মনোৰম শ্ৰেষ্ঠ পৰ্বতশিখৰত, সেই একে বনসমূহতেই সুখেৰে বিহাৰ কৰিবলৈ ধৰিলে।

Word by Word

• {'vaiśampāyana uvāca': 'Vaiśampāyana said', 'vaneṣu': 'in the forests', 'teṣu eva': 'in those very (places)', 'tu': 'indeed/and', 'te': 'they', 'narendrāḥ': 'kings

• lords among men', 'saha': 'together with', 'arjunena': 'with Arjuna', 'indrasamena': 'equal to Indra

• Indra-like', 'vīrāḥ': 'heroes

• valiant men', 'tasmin': 'in that', 'ca': 'and', 'śaila-pravare': 'on the best of mountains

• excellent mountain', 'suramye': 'very delightful

• exceedingly beautiful', 'dhaneśvara': 'Lord of wealth (Kubera)', 'ākrīḍā-gatāḥ': 'having reached/being within the play-grounds

• in the sporting-grounds', 'vijahruḥ': 'they played/sported

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Arjuna
• Pāṇḍavas
• Indra
• Dhaneśvara (Kubera)
• forest (vana)
• excellent mountain (śaila-pravara)
• Kubera's play-grounds (ākrīḍā)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even in hardship (exile), disciplined and lawful enjoyment of nature and companionship is appropriate for the virtuous; rest and recreation can coexist with steadfastness in dharma and readiness for future duty.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana narrates that the Pāṇḍavas, accompanied by the Indra-like Arjuna, spend time happily roaming and sporting in the forests on a beautiful mountain region associated with Kubera’s recreational grounds.