Mahabharata 3.52.36 — Vana Parva, Adhyaya 52, Shloka 36

Nala’s Embassy to Damayantī and the Gods’ Proposal (नलस्य दूतत्वं देवप्रस्तावश्च)

Devanagari script

वैशम्पायन उवाच एवं ब्रुवाणं भीम॑ तु धर्मराजो युधिष्ठिर: । उवाच सान्त्वयन्‌ राजा मूर्ध्न्युपात्राय पाण्डवम्‌

Transliteration

vaiśampāyana uvāca | evaṃ bruvāṇaṃ bhīmaṃ tu dharmarājo yudhiṣṭhiraḥ | uvāca sāntvayan rājā mūrdhny upāghrāya pāṇḍavam ||

Translation

Disse Vaiśampāyana: Enquanto Bhīma falava assim, Dharma-rāja Yudhiṣṭhira dirigiu-se a ele. O rei, desejando consolar o Pāṇḍava, inclinou-se para cheirar (beijar) sua cabeça e falou—um gesto íntimo de afeição, destinado a conter as emoções turbulentas de Bhīma e reconduzi-lo à compostura conforme ao dharma.

Word by Word

• वैशम्पायनः: Vaiśampāyana
• वैशम्पायनः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: वैशम्पायन
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: Perfect, Third, Singular

• एवम्: thus
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम्

• ब्रुवाणम्: speaking (one)
• ब्रुवाणम्: Karma
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रुवाण
• Form: Present active participle, Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• भीमम्: Bhīma
• भीमम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: भीम
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• तु: but/indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु

• धर्मराजः: Dharma-rāja (king of righteousness)
• धर्मराजः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्मराज
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• युधिष्ठिरः: Yudhiṣṭhira
• युधिष्ठिरः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: युधिष्ठिर
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: Perfect, Third, Singular

• सान्त्वयन्: comforting/conciliating
• सान्त्वयन्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: सान्त्वय्
• Form: Present active participle, Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• राजा: the king
• राजा: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• मूर्ध्नि: on the head
• मूर्ध्नि: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: मूर्धन्
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• उपाघ्राय: having smelled (near)/having sniffed
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप-आ-घ्रा
• Form: Absolutive (Gerund), Parasmaipada

• पाण्डवम्: the Pāṇḍava (Bhīma)
• पाण्डवम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाण्डव
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Janamejaya
• Yudhiṣṭhira
• Bhīma
• Pāṇḍu

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even when strong emotions arise, dharma is upheld through compassionate restraint: Yudhiṣṭhira responds to Bhīma not with escalation but with calming affection and measured speech, modeling ethical leadership and fraternal care.

What is happening in the narrative?

After Bhīma has spoken intensely, Yudhiṣṭhira comforts him. The king affectionately smells/kisses Bhīma’s head (upāghrāya mūrdhni) and then speaks to soothe him, as narrated by Vaiśampāyana to King Janamejaya.