Shloka 2

Nahūṣa-Ājagara Saṃvāda: Yudhiṣṭhira’s Definition of Brāhmaṇa and the ‘Vedyam’ Debate

Devanagari script

वैशम्पायन उवाच वनेषु तेष्वेव तु ते नरेन्द्रा: सहार्जुनेनेन्द्रसमेन वीरा: तस्मिंश्व शैलप्रवरे सुरम्ये धनेश्वराक्रीडगता विजहु:,वैशम्पायनजी बोले--राजन्‌! वे नरश्रेष्ठ वीर पाण्डव इन्द्रतुल्य पराक्रमी अर्जुनके साथ उस परम रमणीय शैलशिखरपर कुबेरकी क्रीड़ाभूमिके अन्तर्गत उन्हीं वनोंमें सुखसे विहार करने लगे

Transliteration

vaiśampāyana uvāca | vaneṣu teṣv eva tu te narendrāḥ sahārjunenendrasamena vīrāḥ | tasmiṃś ca śailapravare suramye dhaneśvarākrīḍagatā vijahruḥ ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana said: O King, those heroic lords among men—the Pāṇḍavas—together with Arjuna, whose prowess was like Indra’s, sported happily in those very forests, within the delightful best of mountains that formed part of the play-grounds of Dhaneśvara (Kubera). The passage underscores a brief season of rightful repose and disciplined enjoyment amid exile, without abandoning vigilance or duty.

Word by Word

• {'vaiśampāyana uvāca': 'Vaiśampāyana said', 'vaneṣu': 'in the forests', 'teṣu eva': 'in those very (places)', 'tu': 'indeed/and', 'te': 'they', 'narendrāḥ': 'kings

• lords among men', 'saha': 'together with', 'arjunena': 'with Arjuna', 'indrasamena': 'equal to Indra

• Indra-like', 'vīrāḥ': 'heroes

• valiant men', 'tasmin': 'in that', 'ca': 'and', 'śaila-pravare': 'on the best of mountains

• excellent mountain', 'suramye': 'very delightful

• exceedingly beautiful', 'dhaneśvara': 'Lord of wealth (Kubera)', 'ākrīḍā-gatāḥ': 'having reached/being within the play-grounds

• in the sporting-grounds', 'vijahruḥ': 'they played/sported

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Arjuna
• Pāṇḍavas
• Indra
• Dhaneśvara (Kubera)
• forest (vana)
• excellent mountain (śaila-pravara)
• Kubera's play-grounds (ākrīḍā)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even in hardship (exile), disciplined and lawful enjoyment of nature and companionship is appropriate for the virtuous; rest and recreation can coexist with steadfastness in dharma and readiness for future duty.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana narrates that the Pāṇḍavas, accompanied by the Indra-like Arjuna, spend time happily roaming and sporting in the forests on a beautiful mountain region associated with Kubera’s recreational grounds.