Shloka 10

Adhyāya 90: Babhruvāhana’s Reception and the Commencement of Yudhiṣṭhira’s Aśvamedha

Devanagari script

ई है पक $ ; न्‍् “बट है हे '्ि तार छः ०... ॥7! ऐ कद 7 सल्कष्ा- अल - | ५ पश्नन० | 2 (०० ! ५ 9 कि बल॑ परमं तुभ्यं कि श्रुत॑ किं परायणम्‌ । कथं भवन्तं विद्याम यो नो यज्ञ विगर्हसे,“तुममें कौन-सा बल और कितना शास्त्रज्ञान है? तुम किसके सहारे रहते हो? हमें किस तरह तुम्हारा परिचय प्राप्त होगा? तुम कौन हो, जो हमारे इस यज्ञकी निन्दा करते हो?

Transliteration

kiṁ balaṁ paramaṁ tubhyaṁ kiṁ śrutaṁ kiṁ parāyaṇam | kathaṁ bhavantaṁ vidyāma yo no yajñaṁ vigarhase ||

Translation

“What is your highest strength? What learning of sacred lore do you possess, and what refuge do you rely upon? How are we to know who you are—you who disparage our sacrifice?”

Word by Word

• {'kim': 'what?', 'balam': 'strength, power', 'paramam': 'supreme, highest', 'tubhyam': 'for you

• belonging to you', 'śrutam': 'what is heard

• Vedic learning, sacred tradition', 'parāyaṇam': 'ultimate resort

• final reliance', 'katham': 'how?', 'bhavantam': 'you (honorific), your person', 'vidyāma': 'we may know

• we can ascertain', 'yaḥ': 'who', 'naḥ': 'our

• of us', 'yajñam': 'sacrifice

• ritual offering', 'vigarhase': 'you censure, condemn, disparage'}

Speaker

वैशग्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśaṁpāyana
• yajña (sacrifice)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse frames a dharmic challenge: one who criticizes a public sacrifice must be accountable—by stating their competence (bala), scriptural grounding (śruta), and ethical/spiritual basis (parāyaṇa). It highlights that moral critique in ritual contexts is expected to be supported by recognized authority and clear reasoning.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Ashvamedhika context, someone present at the sacrifice censures the rite. The speakers respond by demanding identification and credentials—asking what power, learning, and refuge the critic has—so they can understand who is opposing their yajña and on what standing.