Shloka 117
Adhyāya 90: Babhruvāhana’s Reception and the Commencement of Yudhiṣṭhira’s Aśvamedha
जगामादर्शन तेषां विप्रास्ते च ययुर्गृहान्,वैशम्पायनजी कहते हैं--जनमेजय! यज्ञस्थलमें उन समस्त श्रेष्ठ ब्राह्मणोंसे ऐसा कहकर वह नेवला वहाँसे गायब हो गया और वे ब्राह्मण भी अपने-अपने घर चले गये
jagāmādarśanaṃ teṣāṃ viprās te ca yayur gṛhān | vaiśampāyana uvāca—janamejaya! yajñasthale teṣāṃ sarveṣāṃ śreṣṭha-brāhmaṇānām evaṃ uktvā sa nakulaḥ tatraiva adarśanaṃ gataḥ, te brāhmaṇā api sva-sva-gṛhān jagmuḥ ||
Vaiśampāyana berkata: “Wahai Janamejaya, setelah berkata demikian di arena kurban di hadapan semua brahmana terkemuka itu, si luwak lenyap dari pandangan mereka; dan para brahmana pun pulang ke rumah masing-masing.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse closes a moral intervention: after delivering a truth meant to test the ethical worth behind a grand ritual, the mongoose disappears. The implied teaching is that ritual grandeur is not self-justifying; dharma depends on inner sincerity, humility, and moral substance, not merely on ceremonial display.
In the sacrificial arena, the mongoose (nakula) has spoken to the assembled eminent brāhmaṇas. After saying its piece, it vanishes from their sight, and the brāhmaṇas disperse to their homes—signaling the end of the episode and leaving the audience to contemplate the critique it delivered.