Shloka 9
Adhyāya 90: Babhruvāhana’s Reception and the Commencement of Yudhiṣṭhira’s Aśvamedha
ततः समेत्य नकुलं॑ पर्यपृच्छन्त ते द्विजा: । कुतस्त्वं समनुप्राप्तो यज्ञं साधुसमागमम्,तब वे सब ब्राह्मण उस नेवलेके पास जाकर उसे चारों ओरसे घेरकर पूछने लगे --“नकुल! इस यज्ञमें तो साधु पुरुषोंका ही समागम हुआ है, तुम कहाँसे आ गये?”
tataḥ sametya nakulaṁ paryapṛcchanta te dvijāḥ | kutas tvaṁ samanupprāpto yajñaṁ sādhusamāgamam ||
Then the brahmin sages gathered around Nakula and questioned him: “From where have you come here? This sacrifice is an assembly of the righteous.” The verse highlights the ethical scrutiny applied in sacred settings—those who enter a holy rite are expected to be worthy, and the community of the learned tests claims and presence against standards of dharma.
वैशग्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Sacred rites are guarded by ethical discernment: the learned community examines who participates, implying that proximity to ritual must align with inner worthiness and dharmic conduct.
At the Aśvamedha sacrifice, brahmins surround and question “Nakula,” asking how he has come to a gathering meant for the righteous—setting up a test of identity and merit within the ritual arena.