Shloka 38

Devanagari script

यक्षस्य ब्रुवतो राजन्नुपक्रम्प तदा स्थित: । विरूपाक्षं महाकायं यक्षं तालसमुच्छुयम्‌

Transliteration

yakṣasya bruvato rājann upakramya tadā sthitaḥ | virūpākṣaṁ mahākāyaṁ yakṣaṁ tālasamucchrayam ||

Translation

Vaiśaṃpāyana berkata— “Wahai Raja, ketika Yaksha itu berbicara, ia melangkah maju dan berdiri dekat dengannya—memandang Yaksha bermata ganjil lagi menggentarkan, bertubuh raksasa, dan menjulang setinggi pohon palmyra.”

Word by Word

यक्षस्यof the Yaksha

ब्रुवतःwhile (he) was speaking / of (him) speaking

राजन्O king

उपक्रम्यhaving approached

तदाthen

स्थितःstood / remained

विरूपाक्षम्having strange/ugly eyes (one)

महाकायम्huge-bodied

यक्षम्the Yaksha

तालसमुच्छ्रयम्as tall as a palm-tree / palm-tree-high

Speaker

वैशग्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśaṃpāyana

Yakṣa

King (Janamejaya, implied by address 'rājan')

tāla (palmyra tree)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse sets the ethical tone of a dharma-test: one must approach the unknown with steadiness and attention, recognizing power without losing composure—preparing for discerning questions and truthful answers.

What is happening in the narrative?

As the Yakṣa speaks, the protagonist moves closer and stands before him, observing his fearsome, towering form—an encounter that frames the impending dialogue and moral examination.