Shloka 121
Devanagari script
भो भो महर्षे धर्मज्ञ किमर्थ नृत्यते भवान् | हर्षस्थानं किमर्थ वा तवाद्य मुनिपुज़व
Transliteration
bho bho maharṣe dharmajña kimarthaṁ nṛtyate bhavān | harṣasthānaṁ kimarthaṁ vā tavādya munipuṅgava ||
Translation
Ghūlastya said: “O revered great sage, knower of dharma—why are you dancing? What cause for joy has arisen for you today, O foremost among ascetics?”
Word by Word
भोO!
भो:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootभो
Formvocative particle
भोO!
भो:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootभो
Formvocative particle
महर्षेO great sage
महर्षे:
TypeNoun
Rootमहर्षि
Formmasculine, vocative, singular
धर्मज्ञO knower of dharma
धर्मज्ञ:
TypeAdjective
Rootधर्मज्ञ
Formmasculine, vocative, singular
किमर्थम्for what reason? why?
किमर्थम्:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootकिमर्थम्
Forminterrogative adverb
नृत्यतेdances
नृत्यते:
TypeVerb
Rootनृत्
Formpresent, indicative, 3rd person, singular, Ātmanepada
भवान्you (honorific)
भवान्:
Karta
TypePronoun
Rootभवत्
Formmasculine, nominative, singular
हर्षस्थानम्cause/occasion of joy
हर्षस्थानम्:
TypeNoun
Rootहर्षस्थान
Formneuter, nominative/accusative, singular
किमर्थम्for what reason? why?
किमर्थम्:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootकिमर्थम्
Forminterrogative adverb
वाor / indeed
वा:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootवा
Formdisjunctive particle
तवof you / your
तव:
TypePronoun
Rootत्वद्
Formgenitive, singular
अद्यtoday / now
अद्य:
Adhikarana
TypeIndeclinable
Rootअद्य
Formtemporal adverb
मुनिपुङ्गवO bull among sages / best of sages
मुनिपुङ्गव:
TypeNoun
Rootमुनिपुङ्गव
Formmasculine, vocative, singular
Speaker
घुलस्त्य उवाच
Characters & Entities
G
GhūlastyaM
maharṣi (a great sage)M
munipuṅgava (foremost sage)Character Dynamics
Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)
Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)
Philosophical Teaching
Political Layer
Geographic Context
Cross References
Meter (Chandas)
Sandhi Notes
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights dharmic discernment about emotion and conduct: even a sage’s outward joy should have a meaningful cause, inviting reflection on what truly merits celebration and how inner states manifest in action.
A speaker named Ghūlastya addresses a revered sage, surprised to see him dancing, and asks what joyful event has occurred that would prompt such an unusual display from an ascetic.