Shloka 25

Devanagari script

भवेदिति महाबुद्धिर्बहुधा तदचिन्तयत्‌ | तस्यासीन्न विषेणेदमुदकं दूषितं यथा

Transliteration

vaiśaṃpāyana uvāca | bhaved iti mahābuddhir bahudhā tad acintayat | tasyāsīn na viṣeṇedam udakaṃ dūṣitaṃ yathā | dharmaputro mahābāhur vilalāpa suvistaram |

Translation

Вайшампаяна сказал: Великомудрый (Юдхиштхира) размышлял об этом по‑разному: «Как могло такое случиться?» Проверив, он убедился, что вода здесь не была отравлена. И всё же могучерукий Дхармопутра, видя братьев павшими, долго рыдал и стенал — скорбь изливалась, пока он пытался постичь причину и удержать ясное различение среди бедствия.

Word by Word

• भवेत्: might be / would be
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), 3, singular, परस्मैपद

• इति: thus (quotative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति

• महाबुद्धिः: the great-intellect (one)
• महाबुद्धिः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: महाबुद्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: masculine, nominative, singular

• बहुधा: in many ways
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: बहुधा

• तत्: that (matter)
• तत्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: neuter, accusative, singular

• अचिन्तयत्: he thought / reflected
• Type: Verb
• Root: चिन्त् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (imperfect), 3, singular, परस्मैपद

• तस्य: of him / his
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: masculine/neuter, genitive, singular

• आसीत्: there was / it was
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (imperfect), 3, singular, परस्मैपद

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• विषेण: by poison / with poison
• विषेण: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: neuter, instrumental, singular

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: neuter, nominative, singular

• उदकम्: water
• उदकम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: उदक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: neuter, nominative, singular

• दूषितम्: polluted / tainted
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दूषित (कृदन्त; क्त)
• Form: neuter, nominative, singular

• यथा: as / just as
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा

• धर्मपुत्रः: Dharma's son (Yudhiṣṭhira)
• धर्मपुत्रः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्मपुत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: masculine, nominative, singular

• महाबाहुः: the mighty-armed (one)
• महाबाहुः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: महाबाहु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: masculine, nominative, singular

• विललाप: lamented
• Type: Verb
• Root: लप् (धातु) + वि-
• Form: लिट् (perfect), 3, singular, परस्मैपद

• सुविस्तरम्: at great length / extensively
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सुविस्तर (प्रातिपदिक)

Speaker

वैशग्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśaṃpāyana
• Yudhiṣṭhira (Dharmaputra)
• Arjuna
• Bhīmasena
• Nakula
• Sahadeva
• udaka (water)
• viṣa (poison)
• dhanus (bow)
• bāṇa (arrows)
• saras (lake/pond, implied by context)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even in overwhelming grief, Yudhiṣṭhira models disciplined inquiry: he does not accept an easy explanation (poisoned water) without examination. The passage highlights dharmic steadiness—reasoned assessment and self-control—before action.

What is happening in the narrative?

After seeing his brothers collapsed near the water, Yudhiṣṭhira thinks through possible causes. He concludes the water is not poisoned, yet he laments deeply—setting the stage for discovering the true cause and the ensuing ethical trial.