Shloka 51

Adhyāya 90: Babhruvāhana’s Reception and the Commencement of Yudhiṣṭhira’s Aśvamedha

Devanagari script

।। ऋतुर्मातुः पितुर्बीजं दैवतं परमं पति:

Transliteration

ṛtur mātuḥ pitur bījaṃ daivataṃ paramaṃ patiḥ

Translation

Nakula sagte: „Die Zeit der Mutter (die fruchtbare Frist), der Same des Vaters und der Gatte—der für sie die höchste göttliche Autorität ist—sind die entscheidenden Faktoren bei der Zeugung von Nachkommen.“

Word by Word

• ऋतुः: season; (also) menstrual/appropriate time
• ऋतुः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋतु
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• मातुः: of the mother
• मातुः: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: मातृ
• Form: Feminine, Genitive, Singular

• पितुः: of the father
• पितुः: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• बीजम्: seed; semen
• बीजम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: बीज
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• दैवतं: deity; divine factor
• दैवतं: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: दैवत
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• परमम्: supreme; highest
• परमम्: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परम
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• पतिः: lord; husband; master
• पतिः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पति
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

नकुल उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Nakula
• mother (mātṛ)
• father (pitṛ)
• husband (pati)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse frames conception as governed by proper timing (ṛtu), paternal seed (bīja), and the husband’s authoritative role (pati as parama-daivata), reflecting a dharma-based view of family and procreation.

What is happening in the narrative?

Nakula is speaking within a discussion on dharma and household norms, emphasizing traditional factors and authority structures associated with begetting children.