Mahabharata 3.52.54 — Vana Parva, Adhyaya 52, Shloka 54

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

Devanagari script

ब॒हृदश्च उवाच शृणू राजन्नवहित: सह भ्रातृभिरच्युत । यस्त्वत्तो द:खिततरो राजा55सीत्‌ पृथिवीपते

Transliteration

bṛhadaśva uvāca | śṛṇu rājann avahitaḥ saha bhrātṛbhir acyuta | yas tvatto duḥkhitataro rājāsīt pṛthivīpate, tasya te paricayaṃ vakṣye ||

Translation

Bṛhadaśva disse: “Ouve atentamente, ó Rei, junto com teus irmãos, ó tu que não te desvias do dharma. Nesta terra houve outrora, ó senhor do país, um rei mais afligido pela dor do que tu; dir-te-ei quem foi.”

Word by Word

• बृहदश्वः: Bṛhadaśva (proper name)
• बृहदश्वः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: बृहदश्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

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

• उवाच: said
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: Perfect, 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• शृणु: listen
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: Imperative, 2nd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• राजन्: O king
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• अवहितः: attentive, heedful
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अवहित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• सह: together with
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सह

• भ्रातृभिः: with (your) brothers
• भ्रातृभिः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: भ्रातृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• अच्युत: O Acyuta (unfallen one)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अच्युत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• यः: who
• यः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• त्वत्तः: than you / from you
• त्वत्तः: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्वद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Ablative, Singular

• दुःखिततरः: more afflicted, more sorrowful
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुःखिततर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• राजा: king
• राजा: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• आसीत्: was
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: Imperfect, 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• पृथिवीपते: O lord of the earth
• Type: Noun
• Root: पृथिवीपति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

Speaker

ब॒हृदश्च उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bṛhadaśva
• Yudhiṣṭhira (implied by 'rājan' in context)
• Pāṇḍava brothers (bhrātṛbhiḥ)
• Pṛthivī (the earth)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Steadfastness in dharma amid suffering: the speaker prepares the king to learn from an even harsher example, implying that sorrow is not unique and that ethical composure and attentive listening to wise counsel are necessary for endurance and right action.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bṛhadaśva addresses the king (with his brothers present) and introduces an instructive story about another ruler who suffered even more. This functions as a transition into a consolatory, exemplary narrative meant to guide the listener through adversity.