Shloka 15

Saubha-nipātana: Kṛṣṇa’s Counter to Śālva’s Māyā

Book 3, Chapter 23

Devanagari script

इत्येवमुक्ते वचने<र्जुनेन ते ब्राह्मणा: सर्ववर्णाश्ष॒ राजन्‌ | मुदाभ्यनन्दन्‌ सहिताश्च चक्रुः प्रदक्षिणं धर्मभूतां वरिष्ठटम्‌,राजन! अर्जुनके ऐसा कहनेपर ब्राह्मणों तथा अन्य सब वर्णके लोगोंने एक स्वरसे प्रसन्नतापूर्वक उनकी बातका अभिनन्दन किया तथा धर्मात्माओंमें श्रेष्ठ युधिष्ठिरकी परिक्रमा की

Transliteration

Vaiśampāyana uvāca | ityevam ukte vacane 'rjunena te brāhmaṇāḥ sarvavarṇāś ca rājan | mudābhyānandan sahitāś ca cakruḥ pradakṣiṇaṃ dharmabhūtāṃ variṣṭham ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana said: When Arjuna had spoken thus, O king, the brāhmaṇas and people of all the other social orders rejoiced together and voiced their glad approval. Then, united in reverence, they circumambulated Yudhiṣṭhira, the foremost among the righteous.

Word by Word

• इति: thus
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति

• एवम्: in this manner
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम्

• उक्ते: when (it was) said / upon being spoken
• उक्ते: Adhikarana
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), Neuter, Locative, Singular

• वचने: in the speech/statement
• वचने: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: वचन
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• अर्जुनेन: by Arjuna
• अर्जुनेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्जुन
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• ते: those
• ते: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• ब्राह्मणाः: Brahmins
• ब्राह्मणाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• सर्ववर्णाः: people of all varnas
• सर्ववर्णाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्ववर्ण
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• राजन्: O king
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन्
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• मुदा: with joy
• मुदा: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुद्
• Form: Feminine, Instrumental, Singular

• अभ्यनन्दन्: they applauded/approved
• Type: Verb
• Root: नन्द्
• Form: लङ् (imperfect), परस्मैपद, 3rd, Plural

• सहिताः: together
• सहिताः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सहित
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

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

• चक्रुः: they did/made
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ
• Form: लिट् (perfect), परस्मैपद, 3rd, Plural

• प्रदक्षिणम्: circumambulation (to the right)
• प्रदक्षिणम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रदक्षिण
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• धर्मभूतम्: endowed with dharma / righteous
• धर्मभूतम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धर्मभूत
• Form: क्त (past passive participle used adjectivally), Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• वरिष्ठम्: the best/supreme
• वरिष्ठम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वरिष्ठ
• Form: superlative, Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• राजन्: O king
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन्
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Arjuna
• Yudhiṣṭhira
• brāhmaṇas
• people of all varṇas
• rājan (the king addressed, i.e., Janamejaya)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights communal recognition of dharma: when righteous counsel is spoken, society—across all varṇas—should support it, and those who embody moral integrity (like Yudhiṣṭhira) deserve honor that reinforces ethical order.

What is happening in the narrative?

After Arjuna speaks, the brāhmaṇas and others respond with collective joy and approval, then perform pradakṣiṇā (reverential circumambulation) of Yudhiṣṭhira, acknowledging him as foremost among the dharmic.