Mahabharata — Shalya Parva, Shloka 3

बदरपाचन-तीर्थमाहात्म्यम् | Badarapācana Tīrtha Māhātmya

Indratīrtha and the Austerities of Srucāvatī & Arundhatī

Devanagari script

अभिषेक कुमारस्य दैत्यानां च वधं तथा । श्रुत्वा मे परमा प्रीतिर्भूय: कौतूहलं हि मे

Transliteration

abhiṣekaṁ kumārasya daityānāṁ ca vadhaṁ tathā | śrutvā me paramā prītir bhūyaḥ kautūhalaṁ hi me ||

Translation

Janamejaya said: “Having heard of the prince’s consecration and likewise the slaying of the Daityas, I feel the highest delight; and my curiosity has only grown all the more.”

Word by Word

• अभिषेकम्: consecration/anointing
• अभिषेकम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: अभिषेक
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• कुमारस्य: of the prince/young man
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुमार
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• दैत्यानाम्: of the Daityas (demons)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दैत्य
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• वधम्: slaying/killing
• वधम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: वध
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• तथा: likewise/also
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा

• श्रुत्वा: having heard
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु
• Form: क्त्वा (absolutive/gerund), Parasmaipada (usage-neutral here)

• मे: of me / my
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: Genitive, Singular

• परमा: supreme/very great
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परम
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• प्रीतिः: joy/delight/pleasure
• प्रीतिः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रीति
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• भूयः: again/further/more
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: भूयस्

• कौतूहलम्: curiosity/eagerness
• कौतूहलम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: कौतूहल
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• हि: indeed/for
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि

• मे: of me / my
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: Genitive, Singular

Speaker

जनमेजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Janamejaya
• kumāra (the prince)
• Daityas

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the listener’s ethical-narrative engagement: righteous kingship is marked by proper consecration (abhiṣeka), while the destruction of hostile forces (Daityas) is treated as a consequential act within the moral order; hearing such accounts can deepen both joy and the desire to understand dharma more fully.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the frame dialogue, King Janamejaya responds to the recitation by saying that the account of a prince’s inauguration and the slaying of the Daityas has greatly pleased him and has increased his curiosity, prompting him to hear more.