Shloka 253

Brāhmaṇa-mahattva and Atithi-Dharma

Brahmagītā: Praise of Brāhmaṇas and norms of honor

Devanagari script

बभूव सुमहान्‌ नादो मेघगम्भीरनि:स्वन: । उनके रोनेके शब्दसे तथा मन्त्रियों और भृत्यजनोंके हाहाकारसे मेघकी गम्भीर गर्जनाके समान वहाँ बड़ा भारी कोलाहल मच गया

Transliteration

babhūva sumahān nādo meghagambhīraniḥsvanaḥ |

Translation

तेथे मेघाच्या गम्भीर गर्जनेसारखा अतिशय मोठा नाद झाला. त्यांच्या रडण्याने आणि मंत्र्यां-भृत्यांच्या हाहाकाराने प्रचंड कोलाहल माजला.

Word by Word

• बभूव: became/was
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्शभूत/परफेक्ट), प्रथम, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• सुमहान्: very great
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुमहान् (प्रातिपदिक; महत् + सु-)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• नादः: sound/roar
• नादः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: नाद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• मेघ-गम्भीर-निःस्वनः: a sound deep like a cloud (thunder)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निःस्वन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

Speaker

श्येन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Śyena
• megha (rain-clouds)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the communal dimension of suffering: when distress erupts, it reverberates through society—leaders, servants, and bystanders alike—implying an ethical duty for rulers and communities to respond with protection, order, and compassion.

What is happening in the narrative?

Śyena describes a scene where intense crying and alarm create a massive commotion, compared to the deep roar of thunder-clouds, emphasizing the scale and gravity of the moment.