Shloka 116
Adhyāya 90: Babhruvāhana’s Reception and the Commencement of Yudhiṣṭhira’s Aśvamedha
वैशम्पायन उवाच इत्युक्त्वा नकुल: सर्वान् यज्ञे द्विजवरांस्तदा,वैशम्पायनजी कहते हैं--जनमेजय! यज्ञस्थलमें उन समस्त श्रेष्ठ ब्राह्मणोंसे ऐसा कहकर वह नेवला वहाँसे गायब हो गया और वे ब्राह्मण भी अपने-अपने घर चले गये
vaiśampāyana uvāca—ity uktvā nakulaḥ sarvān yajñe dvijavarān tadā
ヴァイシャンパーヤナは言った。こう言い終えると、ナクラはその供犠の場に集う最上の婆羅門たちすべてに向かって語りかけた。（この挿話の文脈では、戒めが告げられたのち、その不思議な生きものは祭場から姿を消し、婆羅門たちもまた各々の家へ散ってゆく――真のダルマと慈悲を欠けば、儀礼の壮麗さは倫理的に空虚であることを示すのである。）
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The passage functions as a narrative hinge: it points to the Mahābhārata’s recurring ethical claim that ritual performance (yajña) gains true worth only when grounded in dharma—right intention, humility, and compassion—rather than mere scale, prestige, or external correctness.
Vaiśampāyana reports that, after speaking, Nakula addresses the assembled eminent Brāhmaṇas at the sacrifice. In the surrounding episode’s flow, the extraordinary creature that had appeared at the yajña vanishes, and the Brāhmaṇas depart to their homes, marking the close of the incident and its moral reflection.