Shloka 34

Devanagari script

नकुल: सहदेवश्न बीभत्सुश्च॒ परंतप । चिरं गतास्तोयहेतोर्न चागच्छन्ति भारत

Transliteration

nakulaḥ sahadevaś ca bībhatsuś ca parantapa | ciraṁ gatās toy-hetoḥ na ca āgacchanti bhārata ||

Translation

Le Yakṣa dit : «Nakula et Sahadeva, et Bībhatsu (Arjuna) aussi, ô fléau des ennemis — partis depuis longtemps à la recherche d’eau, ils ne sont pas revenus, ô Bhārata.»

Word by Word

• नकुलः: Nakula
• नकुलः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: नकुल
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• सहदेवः: Sahadeva
• सहदेवः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: सहदेव
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• बीभत्सुः: Bibhatsu (Arjuna)
• बीभत्सुः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: बीभत्सु
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

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

• परंतप: O scorcher of foes (epithet)
• Type: Noun
• Root: परंतप
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• चिरम्: for a long time
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: चिरम्

• गताः: gone
• गताः: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम्
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• तोयहेतोः: for the sake of water (because of water)
• तोयहेतोः: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: तोय-हेतु
• Form: Masculine, Ablative, Singular

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

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

• आगच्छन्ति: they come back / they return
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-गम्
• Form: Present (Lat), Third, Plural, Parasmaipada

• भारत: O Bharata
• Type: Noun
• Root: भारत
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

Speaker

यक्ष उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Yakṣa
• Nakula
• Sahadeva
• Bībhatsu (Arjuna)
• Parantapa (Yudhiṣṭhira)
• Bhārata (Yudhiṣṭhira)
• water

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse sets up an ethical test: when companions fail to return, one must respond with steadiness and discernment rather than impulsive action—preparing the ground for dharma-centered questioning and truthful speech.

What is happening in the narrative?

The Yakṣa informs Yudhiṣṭhira that his brothers Nakula, Sahadeva, and Arjuna went to fetch water and have been gone a long time without returning, prompting Yudhiṣṭhira to investigate and face the Yakṣa’s challenge.