Shloka 1

Devanagari script

अत्-#-र- द्विपज्चाशर्दाधिकशततमो< ध्याय: कार्तवीर्य ० अब प2 ९ दत्तात्रेयजीसे चार वरदान प्राप्त होनेका एवं उनमें उत्पत्तिका वर्णन तथा ब्राह्मणोंकी महिमाके विषयमें कार्तवीर्य अर्जुन और वायुदेवताके संवादका उल्लेख युधिछिर उवाच कां तु ब्राह्मणपूजायां व्युष्टिं दृष्टवा जनाधिप । क॑ वा कर्मोदयं मत्वा तानर्चसि महामते

Transliteration

yudhiṣṭhira uvāca | kāṃ tu brāhmaṇapūjāyāṃ vyuṣṭiṃ dṛṣṭvā janādhipa | kiṃ vā karmodayaṃ matvā tān arcasi mahāmate ||

Translation

ユディシュティラは言った。「人々の主よ、いかなる利益を見て、あなたはなおもバラモンへの供養と尊敬を怠らぬのですか。大賢者よ、あるいは、いかなる行為の興起とその果報を思って、彼らを礼拝し敬うのですか。」

Word by Word

• युधिष्ठिरः: Yudhiṣṭhira
• युधिष्ठिरः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: युधिष्ठिर
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• उवाच: said
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: Perfect, Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

• काम्: what (which) (result)
• काम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: किम्
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• तु: indeed/but
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु

• ब्राह्मणपूजायाम्: in the worship of Brahmins
• ब्राह्मणपूजायाम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मणपूजा
• Form: Feminine, Locative, Singular

• व्युष्टिम्: reward/benefit (lit. dawning, prosperity)
• व्युष्टिम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्युष्टि
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश्
• Form: क्त्वा (absolutive/gerund)

• जनाधिप: O lord of people (king)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जनाधिप
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• कम्: what (which) (rise/fruit of action)
• कम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: किम्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• वा: or
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा

• कर्मोदयम्: the arising/result of (some) action
• कर्मोदयम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्मोदय
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• मत्वा: having thought/considered
• Type: Verb
• Root: मन्
• Form: क्त्वा (absolutive/gerund)

• तान्: them (those Brahmins)
• तान्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• अर्चसि: you worship/honor
• Type: Verb
• Root: अर्च्
• Form: Present, Second, Singular, Parasmaipada

• महामते: O great-minded one
• Type: Noun
• Root: महामति
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

Speaker

युधिछिर उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Yudhiṣṭhira
• Brāhmaṇas
• Janādhipa (the addressed king/ruler)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse frames a dharmic inquiry: reverence toward Brāhmaṇas is not presented as mere custom but as a deliberate ethical act tied to karma and its fruits. It invites reflection on why a ruler should honor the learned and spiritually disciplined—because such honor sustains dharma and yields auspicious outcomes.

What is happening in the narrative?

Yudhiṣṭhira questions a ruler (janādhipa) about the motive behind continual worship and honoring of Brāhmaṇas, asking what benefit has been observed or what karmic result is anticipated. This sets up a discourse on the greatness of Brāhmaṇas and the dharma of honoring them.