Mahabharata 3.91.5 — Vana Parva, Adhyaya 91, Shloka 5

Brahmaṇānāṃ Yācanā—Tīrtha-yātrā-prastāvaḥ

The Brahmanas’ Petition and the Proposal of Pilgrimage

Devanagari script

संचरजन्नस्मि कौन्तेय सर्वाल्लॉकान्‌ यदृच्छया । गत: शक्रस्य भवन तत्रापश्य॑ सुरेश्वरम्‌

Transliteration

sañcarajann asmi kaunteya sarvāl lokān yadṛcchayā | gataḥ śakrasya bhavanaṃ tatrāpaśyaṃ sureśvaram ||

Translation

വൈശമ്പായനൻ പറഞ്ഞു—ഹേ കൗന്തേയ, ഞാൻ യദൃച്ഛയായി സർവ്വലോകങ്ങളിലും സഞ്ചരിക്കാറുണ്ട്. ഒരിക്കൽ ശക്രന്റെ ഭവനത്തിൽ ചെന്നപ്പോൾ അവിടെ ദേവാധിപനായ ദേവരാജ ഇന്ദ്രനെ ഞാൻ കണ്ടു.

Word by Word

• सञ्चरन्: wandering, moving about
• सञ्चरन्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: सञ्चर् (धातु)
• Form: शतृ (वर्तमान कृदन्त), परस्मैपदी (कर्तरि प्रयोग), पुं, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• जन्: being born / living (as a being)
• जन्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन् (धातु)
• Form: शतृ (वर्तमान कृदन्त), परस्मैपदी (कर्तरि प्रयोग), पुं, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• अस्मि: I am
• अस्मि: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), उत्तम, एकवचन

• कौन्तेय: O son of Kunti
• Type: Noun
• Root: कौन्तेय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं, सम्बोधन, एकवचन

• सर्वान्: all
• सर्वान्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं, द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• लोकान्: worlds/realms
• लोकान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं, द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• यदृच्छया: at random; as it happens; by chance
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदृच्छा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाववत् प्रयोग; अर्थे तृतीया-एकवचनरूपम् (यदृच्छया) अव्ययवत्

• गतः: gone; having gone
• गतः: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त (भूतकृदन्त), पुं, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• शक्रस्य: of Shakra (Indra)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शक्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं, षष्ठी, एकवचन

• भवनम्: abode; palace; dwelling
• भवनम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: भवन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुं, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)

• अपश्यम्: I saw
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (अनद्यतन भूत), उत्तम, एकवचन

• सुरेश्वरम्: the lord of the gods
• सुरेश्वरम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुरेश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं, द्वितीया, एकवचन

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Kaunteya (son of Kuntī)
• Śakra (Indra)
• Indra (Sureśvara)
• Śakra’s abode (Indra’s palace)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the motif of providential movement (yadṛcchayā): events unfold through unforced circumstance, leading the seeker/narrator into contact with higher authority (Indra). Ethically, it frames later instruction as grounded in a legitimate encounter with divine order rather than mere personal opinion.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana reports that he (or the speaking narrator within the episode) roamed across various realms and, in the course of that wandering, reached Indra’s palace, where he met and saw Indra, the king of the gods—setting up a forthcoming dialogue or revelation.