Shloka 24

Bhīmasena’s Capture by the Serpent and Nahūṣa’s Self-Disclosure (भीमसेन-भुजङ्गग्रहणं नहुषोपाख्यानप्रस्तावः)

Devanagari script

वैशग्पायन उवाच निवार्याथ ततः पार्थ सर्वे देवा यथागतम्‌ जम्मुरन्ये च ये तत्र समाजम्मुर्नरर्षभ

Transliteration

Vaiśaṃpāyana uvāca | nivāryātha tataḥ pārtha sarve devā yathāgatam | jagmur anye ca ye tatra samājamur naraṛṣabha ||

Translation

വൈശമ്പായനൻ പറഞ്ഞു—ഹേ പാർഥാ! തുടർന്ന് (അവനെ) നിയന്ത്രിച്ച ശേഷം, വന്നതുപോലെ തന്നെ എല്ലാ ദേവന്മാരും മടങ്ങിപ്പോയി. അവിടെ കൂടിയിരുന്ന മറ്റുള്ളവരും പിരിഞ്ഞുപോയി—ഹേ നരശ്രേഷ്ഠാ!

Word by Word

• वैशम्पायनः: Vaiśampāyana
• वैशम्पायनः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: वैशम्पायन
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

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

• निवार्य: having restrained / having prevented
• निवार्य: Kriya
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि-√वृ (निवारयति)
• Form: Absolutive (Gerund), Parasmaipada (causative base implied)

• अथ: then
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ

• ततः: thereupon / from there
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः

• पार्थ: O son of Pṛthā (Arjuna)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार्थ
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• देवाः: gods
• देवाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• यथा: as / just as
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा

• आगतम्: as (they had) come / according to their coming
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-√गम्
• Form: Past Passive Participle, Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• जग्मुः: went
• जग्मुः: Kriya
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम्
• Form: Perfect, Third, Plural

• अन्ये: others
• अन्ये: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्य
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• ये: who
• ये: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र

• समाजम्: assembly / gathering
• समाजम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: समाज
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• जग्मुः: went (to)
• जग्मुः: Kriya
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम्
• Form: Perfect, Third, Plural

• नरर्षभ: O bull among men
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर-ऋषभ
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

Speaker

वैशग्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśaṃpāyana
• Pārtha (Arjuna)
• devāḥ (the gods)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the ethical value of restraint (nivāraṇa): when an impulsive or potentially disruptive action is checked, order is restored. Even divine observers withdraw once the situation is settled, implying that dharma is maintained through timely self-control and proper closure of events.

What is happening in the narrative?

After someone is restrained, the gods who had gathered depart as they came, and the remaining assembled beings also disperse. It functions as a narrative closing beat, marking the end of a significant episode witnessed by divine and human participants.