Shloka 217
Nakula’s Declaration and the Uñchavṛtti Brāhmaṇa’s Superior Merit (Āśvamedhika Parva, Adhyāya 92)
Devanagari script
यदि द्वादशवर्षाणि न वर्षेष्यति वासव:
Transliteration
yadi dvādaśavarṣāṇi na varṣeṣyati vāsavaḥ |
Translation
Vaiśampāyana said: “If Vāsava (Indra) does not send rain for twelve years…”
Word by Word
यदिif
यदि:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootयदि
द्वादशवर्षाणिtwelve years (as a duration)
द्वादशवर्षाणि:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootद्वादशवर्ष
FormNeuter, Accusative, Plural
नnot
न:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootन
वर्षेष्यतिwill rain
वर्षेष्यति:
TypeVerb
Rootवृष् (वर्षति)
FormSimple Future (Luṭ), Third, Singular
वासवःVāsava (Indra)
वासवः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootवासव
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
Speaker
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Characters & Entities
V
VaiśampāyanaV
Vāsava (Indra)Character Dynamics
Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)
War Context
Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)
Philosophical Teaching
Political Layer
Geographic Context
Cross References
Sandhi Notes
Educational Q&A
The verse frames drought as a dharmic test: when nature fails, human duty intensifies—leaders must protect subjects, ensure fair distribution, uphold charity and restraint, and seek righteous remedies rather than abandoning moral order.
Vaiśampāyana introduces a conditional scenario of a twelve-year failure of rain by Indra, preparing the listener for consequences and the ensuing discussion or action required to address a prolonged drought.