Shloka 3

Nakula’s Declaration and the Uñchavṛtti Brāhmaṇa’s Superior Merit (Āśvamedhika Parva, Adhyāya 92)

Devanagari script

कथं हि सर्वयज्ञेषु निश्चय: परमो5भवत्‌ | एतदर्हसि मे वक्तुं निखिलेन द्विजर्षभ

Transliteration

Janamejaya uvāca | kathaṁ hi sarvayajñeṣu niścayaḥ paramo 'bhavat | etad arhasi me vaktuṁ nikhilena dvijarṣabha ||

Translation

ଦ୍ୱିଜଶ୍ରେଷ୍ଠ! ସମସ୍ତ ଯଜ୍ଞମାନଙ୍କ ମଧ୍ୟରେ ସେଇ ପରମ ନିଶ୍ଚୟ କିପରି ପ୍ରତିଷ୍ଠିତ ହେଲା? ଏହା ମୋତେ ସମ୍ପୂର୍ଣ୍ଣ ଭାବେ କହନ୍ତୁ।

Word by Word

• कथम्: how?
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम्

• हि: indeed/for
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि

• सर्वयज्ञेषु: in all sacrifices
• सर्वयज्ञेषु: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्वयज्ञ
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Plural

• निश्चयः: decision/resolve
• निश्चयः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: निश्चय
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• परमः: supreme/highest
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परम
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• अभवत्: became/was
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू
• Form: Imperfect (Lan), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• एतत्: this (matter)
• एतत्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: एतद्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• अर्हसि: you are able/you ought
• Type: Verb
• Root: अर्ह्
• Form: Present (Lat), 2nd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• मे: to me
• मे: Sampradana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: Dative, Singular

• वक्तुम्: to tell/speak
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: Tumun (infinitive)

• निखिलेन: completely/in full
• निखिलेन: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निखिल
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• द्विजर्षभ: O bull among the twice-born (best Brahmin)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विजर्षभ
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

Speaker

जनमेजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Janamejaya
• dvijarṣabha (addressed Brahmin sage)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse models dharmic inquiry: a ruler seeks a clear, comprehensive account of how a ‘supreme resolve’ becomes authoritative across ritual life, implying that right action in sacrifice depends on well-grounded understanding rather than mere performance.

What is happening in the narrative?

Janamejaya addresses a foremost Brahmin sage and asks for a full explanation of how an ultimate determination/conclusion came to be accepted in the context of all sacrifices, prompting the sage to elaborate on the underlying principle or precedent.