Mahabharata 3.249.9 — Vana Parva, Adhyaya 249, Shloka 9

Koṭikāśya’s Inquiry to the Radiant Woman near the Kadamba (कोटिकाश्यप्रश्नः)

Devanagari script

अथागम्य तमुद्देशं पाण्डवा: पुरुषर्षभा:

Transliteration

athāgamya tamuddeśaṃ pāṇḍavāḥ puruṣarṣabhāḥ

Translation

त्यानंतर पुरुषश्रेष्ठ पांडव त्या ठिकाणी पोहोचले.

Word by Word

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

• आगम्य: having come/reached
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + गम्
• Form: ल्यप् (absolutive/gerund), कर्तरि

• तम्: that
• तम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• उद्देशम्: place/region
• उद्देशम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: उद्देश
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• पाण्डवाः: the Pandavas
• पाण्डवाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाण्डव
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• पुरुषर्षभाः: bulls among men (best of men)
• पुरुषर्षभाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरुषर्षभ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

Speaker

दुर्योधन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Pāṇḍavāḥ (the Pāṇḍavas)
• uddeśa (a particular place/spot)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse primarily functions as narrative linkage, but its ethical coloring lies in the epithet puruṣarṣabhāḥ, which presents the Pāṇḍavas as exemplary men—implying ideals of courage, leadership, and steadfastness that the epic repeatedly associates with righteous conduct (dharma) even amid adversity.

What is happening in the narrative?

Duryodhana reports that the Pāṇḍavas have reached a particular designated spot. The statement advances the scene by marking their arrival and preparing for whatever encounter, observation, or strategic development is about to follow in the chapter.