Mahabharata — Anushasana Parva, Shloka 23

Devanagari script

नारदस्य वच: श्रुत्वा क्रुद्धः प्राज्वलदड्धिरा: । अपिबत्‌ तेजसा वारि विष्ट भ्य सुमहातपा:

Transliteration

nāradāsya vacaḥ śrutvā kruddhaḥ prājvalad aṅgirāḥ | apibat tejasā vāri viṣṭabhya sumahātapāḥ ||

Translation

ನಾರದನ ವಚನವನ್ನು ಕೇಳಿ ಅಂಗಿರಸನ ಪುತ್ರ ಉತಥ್ಯನು ಕ್ರೋಧದಿಂದ ಜ್ವಲಿಸಿದನು. ಆ ಮಹಾತಪಸ್ವಿ ತನ್ನ ತಪೋತೇಜದಿಂದ ನೀರನ್ನು ಸ್ಥಂಭಿಸಿ, ತನ್ನ ತೇಜಸ್ಸಿನಿಂದ ಅದನ್ನು ಕುಡಿಯತೊಡಗಿದನು.

Word by Word

• नारदस्य: of Narada
• नारदस्य: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: नारद
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• वचः: speech/words
• वचः: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: वचस्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• श्रुत्वा: having heard
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु
• Form: क्त्वा (absolutive/gerund), Parasmaipada (usage-neutral here), prior action

• क्रुद्धः: angered
• क्रुद्धः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: क्रुद्ध (from √क्रुध्)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• प्राज्वलत्: blazing up
• प्राज्वलत्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + ज्वल्
• Form: शतृ (present active participle), Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• अद्धिराः: Utathya, son of Aṅgiras (reading uncertain)
• अद्धिराः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अङ्गिरस्-पुत्र (उतथ्य) (contextual; reading uncertain)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• अपिबत्: drank
• Type: Verb
• Root: पा
• Form: Imperfect (Laṅ), Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

• तेजसा: by (his) radiance/energy
• तेजसा: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: तेजस्
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• वारि: water
• वारि: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: वारि
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• विष्टभ्य: having checked/held back, having made motionless
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + स्तभ्
• Form: क्त्वा/ल्यप् (absolutive; -भ्य form), prior action

• सुमहातपाः: of very great austerity
• सुमहातपाः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु-महा-तपस्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

अजुन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Nārada
• Aṅgiras
• Utathya
• water (vāri)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the ethical tension between spiritual power (tapas/tejas) and self-control: even a great ascetic can be driven by anger to use extraordinary power in a forceful, potentially harmful way, implying that mastery over krodha is integral to dharma.

What is happening in the narrative?

After hearing Nārada’s statement, Utathya becomes enraged; empowered by his austerities, he restrains the waters and begins to drink them up through his tejas, demonstrating the formidable potency attributed to sages in epic narrative.