Shloka 54

Adhyāya 33: Antarvedī-Samāgama, Arghya-Nirṇaya, and Śiśupāla’s Objection

Devanagari script

ततो युधिष्छिरो राजा प्रेषयामास पाण्डवम्‌ | नकुलं हास्तिनपुरं भीष्माय पुरुषर्षभ:

Transliteration

tato yudhiṣṭhiro rājā preṣayāmāsa pāṇḍavam | nakulaṃ hāstinapuraṃ bhīṣmāya puruṣarṣabhaḥ ||

Translation

Alors le roi Yudhiṣṭhira, le plus éminent des hommes, dépêcha le Pāṇḍava Nakula à Hāstināpura afin d’y convoquer Bhīṣma.

Word by Word

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

• युधिष्ठिरः: Yudhiṣṭhira
• युधिष्ठिरः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: युधिष्ठिर
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• राजा: the king
• राजा: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• प्रेषयामास: sent, dispatched
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-इष्
• Form: Perfect (Periphrastic), Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

• पाण्डवम्: a Pāṇḍava (one of the Pāṇḍavas)
• पाण्डवम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाण्डव
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• नकुलम्: Nakula
• नकुलम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: नकुल
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• हास्तिनपुरम्: to Hāstinapura (Hastināpura)
• हास्तिनपुरम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: हास्तिनपुर
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• भीष्माय: for Bhīṣma / to Bhīṣma
• भीष्माय: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: भीष्म
• Form: Masculine, Dative, Singular

• पुरुषर्षभः: bull among men (best of men)
• पुरुषर्षभः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरुषर्षभ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Yudhiṣṭhira
• Nakula
• Bhīṣma
• Hāstinapura

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights dharmic governance: a righteous king consults and involves venerable elders and established authorities. Yudhiṣṭhira’s decision to send a messenger to Bhīṣma underscores humility, procedural propriety, and respect for senior guidance in matters of state.

What is happening in the narrative?

After a preceding development, Yudhiṣṭhira dispatches his brother Nakula to Hāstinapura with the purpose of reaching/summoning Bhīṣma—initiating communication and coordination with the Kuru elders at the capital.