Shloka 31

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

Devanagari script

उज्छमप्राप्तवानेव ब्राह्मण: क्षुच्छूमान्वित: । स तथैव क्षुधाविष्ट: सार्ध परिजनेन ह

Transliteration

uccham aprāptavān eva brāhmaṇaḥ kṣucchūmān vitaḥ | sa tathaiva kṣudhāviṣṭaḥ sārdha-parijanena ha kṣapayāmāsa taṃ kālaṃ kṛcchra-prāṇo dvijottamaḥ |

Translation

ନକୁଳ କହିଲେ— କ୍ଷୁଧାରେ ପୀଡିତ ହେଲେ ମଧ୍ୟ ସେ ବ୍ରାହ୍ମଣ ଉଚ୍ଛ (ଅନ୍ନାବଶେଷ) ମଧ୍ୟ ପାଇଲେ ନାହିଁ। ଗୋଟିଏ ଦାଣା ମଧ୍ୟ ମିଳିଲା ନାହିଁ; ତେଣୁ ପରିଜନ ସହିତ ସେ ସେଇ କ୍ଷୁଧିତ ଅବସ୍ଥାରେ ହିଁ ସମୟ କାଟିଲେ। ସେ ଶ୍ରେଷ୍ଠ ଦ୍ୱିଜ ମହାକଷ୍ଟରେ ପ୍ରାଣ ରକ୍ଷା କଲେ।

Word by Word

• उच्छम्: leftover food/alms (as object of obtaining)
• उच्छम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: उच्छ (प्रातिपदिक; उच्छिष्ट/भिक्षा-अर्थे)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• अप्राप्तवान्: not having obtained
• अप्राप्तवान्: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ-प्राप् (धातु √प्राप्) + क्तवत्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

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

• ब्राह्मणः: the Brahmin
• ब्राह्मणः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• क्षुत्: with hunger
• क्षुत्: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षुत्
• Form: Feminine, Instrumental, Singular

• शूमान्वितः: afflicted with pain/torment
• शूमान्वितः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शू (प्रातिपदिक; शूल/पीडा) + अन्वित
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• सः: he
• सः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• तथा: thus/in that manner
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा

• एव: indeed/just
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

• क्षुधा: with hunger
• क्षुधा: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षुधा
• Form: Feminine, Instrumental, Singular

• आविष्टः: seized/overcome
• आविष्टः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आ-विश् (धातु √विश्) + क्त
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• सार्धम्: together with
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सार्धम्

• परिजनेन: with (his) family/attendants
• परिजनेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: परिजन
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• ह: indeed (particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ह

• क्षपयामास: spent/passed (time)
• Type: Verb
• Root: क्षपय् (धातु √क्षप्/क्षि ‘to spend, pass’ causative) लिट्
• Form: Perfect (लिट्), Third, Singular

• तम्: that (time)
• तम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• कालम्: time/period
• कालम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• कृच्छ्रप्राणः: with life sustained with difficulty
• कृच्छ्रप्राणः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृच्छ्र-प्राण (समास)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• द्विजोत्तमः: best of Brahmins
• द्विजोत्तमः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज-उत्तम (समास)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

नकुल उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Nakula
• a Brahmin (dvijottama)
• the Brahmin's family/dependents (parijana)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights dharmic endurance: even when reduced to seeking mere scraps and finding none, the virtuous person bears hardship without abandoning restraint or duty, sustaining life with difficulty but without ethical collapse.

What is happening in the narrative?

Nakula describes a Brahmin undergoing severe deprivation—afflicted by heat and hunger, unable to obtain even leftover food—who nevertheless passes the time together with his dependents, barely maintaining life through extreme hardship.