Mahabharata — Shalya Parva, Shloka 40

Indratīrtha–Ādityatīrtha: Balarāma’s Ritual Bathing, Dāna, and Sacred-Historical Recollections

Devanagari script

ततो<ब्रवीन्महादेव: पचस्वैतानि सुव्रते

Transliteration

tato 'bravīn mahādevaḥ pacasvaitāni suvrate |

Translation

Entonces Mahādeva dijo: «Oh virtuosa, cocina estos frutos». A su mandato, la ilustre Arundhatī—deseosa de complacer al brāhmaṇa—puso los azufaifos sobre el fuego encendido y comenzó a asarlos.

Word by Word

• ततः: then, thereafter
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः

• अब्रवीत्: said, spoke
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू
• Form: Aorist (luṅ), 3, singular, Parasmaipada

• महादेवः: Mahādeva (Śiva)
• महादेवः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: महादेव
• Form: masculine, nominative, singular

• पचस्व: cook (you)!
• Type: Verb
• Root: पच्
• Form: Imperative (loṭ), 2, singular, Ātmanepada

• एतानि: these
• एतानि: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: एतद्
• Form: neuter, accusative, plural

• सुव्रते: O woman of good vows
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुव्रत
• Form: feminine, vocative, singular

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Mahādeva (Śiva)
• Arundhatī
• brāhmaṇa (guest)
• ber fruits (jujubes)
• fire (agni)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Dharma is expressed through prompt, respectful service performed with a pure motive—here, Arundhatī’s readiness to fulfill a righteous request and honor a brāhmaṇa guest.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana narrates that Mahādeva instructs the virtuous Arundhatī to cook certain fruits; she immediately begins roasting the jujubes on the fire, intending to please the brāhmaṇa.