Mahabharata 3.52.51 — Vana Parva, Adhyaya 52, Shloka 51

Nala’s Embassy to Damayantī and the Gods’ Proposal (नलस्य दूतत्वं देवप्रस्तावश्च)

Devanagari script

इस प्रकार श्रीमह्ा भारत वनपवके अन्तर्गत इन्रलोकाभिगमनपर्वमें धृतराष्टरविलापविषयक इकक्‍्यावनवाँ अध्याय पूरा हुआ

Transliteration

bṛhadaśva uvāca | yad bravīṣi mahārāja na matto vidyate kvacit | alpabhāgyataraḥ kaścit tvam astīti pāṇḍava |

Translation

Dijo Bṛhadaśva: «Oh gran rey, Pāṇḍava, afirmas que en ninguna parte existe alguien más desdichado que tú. Si te tienes por el más infortunado, te relataré un antiguo relato: el de un rey de esta tierra que fue aún más afligido que tú».

Word by Word

• बृहदश्वः: Bṛhadaśva (proper name)
• बृहदश्वः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: बृहदश्व
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: Perfect, Third, Singular

• यत्: what/that which
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यद्

• ब्रवीषि: you say
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू
• Form: Present, Second, Singular

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

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• मतः: than me (from me)
• मतः: Apadana
• Type: Kridanta
• Root: मत
• Form: Masculine, Ablative, Singular

• विद्यते: exists/is found
• Type: Verb
• Root: विद्
• Form: Present, Third, Singular, Atmanepada

• क्वचित्: anywhere
• क्वचित्: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्वचित्

• अल्पभाग्यतरः: more unfortunate
• अल्पभाग्यतरः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अल्पभाग्यतर
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular, Comparative

• कश्चित्: someone/anyone
• कश्चित्: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: कश्चित्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• युष्मान्: you
• युष्मान्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: युष्मद्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• अस्ति: is/exists
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस्
• Form: Present, Third, Singular

• इति: thus/quoting
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति

• पाण्डव: O Pāṇḍava
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाण्डव
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

Speaker

ध्तराष्ट्र उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bṛhadaśva
• Pāṇḍava (Yudhiṣṭhira)
• Mahārāja (the addressed king)
• Pāṇḍu

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse challenges self-absorbed despair by reframing suffering through perspective: even a righteous king may face extreme misfortune, and hearing exemplary histories can steady the mind, restore patience, and guide one back toward dharma rather than hopelessness.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bṛhadaśva responds to the Pāṇḍava king’s claim that no one is more unfortunate than he is, and he prepares to narrate an old historical example of a king who endured even greater misery—setting up a consoling, instructive tale.