Shloka 21

Adhyāya 90: Babhruvāhana’s Reception and the Commencement of Yudhiṣṭhira’s Aśvamedha

Devanagari script

अनुभूतं च दृष्टं च यन्मयाद्भुतमुत्तमम्‌ | उज्छवृत्तेवदान्यस्य कुरुक्षेत्रनिवासिन:

Transliteration

Vaiśaṃpāyana uvāca | anubhūtaṃ ca dṛṣṭaṃ ca yan mayādbhutam uttamam | ucchavṛttivedānyasya kurukṣetranivāsinaḥ ||

Translation

କୁରୁକ୍ଷେତ୍ରନିବାସୀ ଉଚ୍ଛବୃତ୍ତିଧାରୀ ଦାନଶୀଳ ବ୍ରାହ୍ମଣ ସମ୍ବନ୍ଧରେ ମୁଁ ଯାହା ଦେଖିଛି ଓ ଅନୁଭବ କରିଛି—ସେ ଅତ୍ୟନ୍ତ ଉତ୍ତମ ଓ ଅଦ୍ଭୁତ।

Word by Word

• अनुभूतम्: experienced
• अनुभूतम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनुभूत (अनु + √भू)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

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

• दृष्टम्: seen
• दृष्टम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दृष्ट (√दृश्)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

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

• यत्: what/that which
• यत्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद्
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• मया: by me
• मया: Karana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: Instrumental, Singular

• अद्भुतम्: wonderful, marvelous
• अद्भुतम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अद्भुत
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• उत्तमम्: excellent, supreme
• उत्तमम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तम
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• उज्छवृत्तः: one living by gleaning/leftovers (a mendicant-like livelihood)
• उज्छवृत्तः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उज्छवृत्त
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• इव: as if, like
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव

• दान्यस्य: of the giver/donor
• दान्यस्य: Sambandha
• Type: Noun
• Root: दान्य
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• कुरुक्षेत्र-निवासिनः: of the resident of Kurukṣetra
• कुरुक्षेत्र-निवासिनः: Sambandha
• Type: Noun/Adjective
• Root: कुरुक्षेत्रनिवासिन्
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

Speaker

वैशग्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśaṃpāyana
• Kurukṣetra
• a brāhmaṇa (unnamed)
• ucchavṛtti (austere livelihood)
• dāna (generosity/charity)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse frames an ethical exemplar: true excellence can appear in a life of strict simplicity (ucchavṛtti) joined with generosity (dāna). Moral worth is measured not by abundance but by disciplined livelihood and the will to give.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśaṃpāyana introduces a remarkable episode he both witnessed and experienced, centered on a generous brāhmaṇa living at Kurukṣetra with an austere means of subsistence, preparing the listener for an instructive account of dharma in practice.