Shloka 22

Devanagari script

निःशब्दे च स्थिते तत्र ततो विप्रजने पुन: । राजानं ब्राह्मणच्छय््या चार्वाको राक्षसो<ब्रवीत्‌,जब सब ब्राह्मण चुपचाप खड़े हो गये, तब ब्राह्मणका वेष बनाकर आया हुआ चार्वाक नामक राक्षस राजा युधिष्ठिरसे कुछ कहनेको उद्यत हुआ

Transliteration

niḥśabde ca sthite tatra tato viprajane punaḥ | rājānaṃ brāhmaṇacchāyā cārvāko rākṣaso 'bravīt ||

Translation

সেখানে যখন সর্বত্র নীরবতা নেমে এল এবং ব্রাহ্মণসমাজ পুনরায় নীরবে দাঁড়িয়ে রইল, তখন ব্রাহ্মণের ছদ্মবেশ ধারণকারী চার্বাক নামক রাক্ষস রাজা যুধিষ্ঠিরকে সম্বোধন করতে উদ্যত হল।

Word by Word

निःशब्देin silence / when (it was) silent

चand

स्थितेhaving stood / being (in a state)

तत्रthere

ततःthen / thereafter

विप्रजनेamong the Brahmin people/assembly

पुनःagain / further

राजानम्the king

ब्राह्मणच्छाय्याwith the guise/appearance of a Brahmin

चार्वाकःCharvaka (name)

राक्षसःthe demon

अब्रवीत्said / spoke

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Cārvāka

Yudhiṣṭhira

Brāhmaṇas

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights that outward signs of sanctity or authority can be counterfeit; dharma requires viveka (discernment) so that a king or community is not misled by appearances.

What is happening in the narrative?

After the brāhmaṇas fall silent in the assembly, the rākṣasa Cārvāka, disguised as a brāhmaṇa, steps forward to speak to King Yudhiṣṭhira, setting up a moment of moral and political testing.