Shloka 38

Subhadrā-vilāpaḥ — Subhadrā’s Lament for Abhimanyu

Droṇa-parva 55

Devanagari script

संवर्तो याजयामास स्पर्धया वै बृहस्पते: । यस्मै राजर्षये प्रादाद्‌ धनं स भगवान्‌ प्रभु:

Transliteration

Saṁvarto yājayāmāsa spardhayā vai Bṛhaspateḥ | yasmai rājarṣaye prādād dhanaṁ sa bhagavān prabhuḥ ||

Translation

संवर्तो याजयामास स्पर्धया वै बृहस्पतेः। यस्मै राजर्षये प्रादाद् धनं स भगवान् प्रभुः॥

Word by Word

• संवर्तः: Samvarta (name of a sage)
• संवर्तः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: संवर्त
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• याजयामास: caused (him) to perform sacrifice / officiated (a sacrifice)
• Type: Verb
• Root: यज् (णिच्)
• Form: Perfect (Liṭ), Third, Singular, Parasmaipada, Causative: याजयति = causes to sacrifice / officiates as priest

• स्पर्धया: through rivalry, out of competition
• स्पर्धया: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्पर्धा
• Form: Feminine, Instrumental, Singular

• वै: indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै

• बृहस्पतेः: of Bṛhaspati
• Type: Noun
• Root: बृहस्पति
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• यस्मै: to whom
• यस्मै: Sampradana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद्
• Form: Masculine, Dative, Singular

• राजर्षये: to the royal sage
• राजर्षये: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजर्षि
• Form: Masculine, Dative, Singular

• प्रादात्: gave
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (प्र-दा)
• Form: Imperfect (Laṅ), Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

• धनम्: wealth
• धनम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: धन
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

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

• भगवान्: the venerable one, the blessed one
• भगवान्: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भगवत्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• प्रभुः: the lord, the powerful one
• प्रभुः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रभु
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

(नारद उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Nārada
• Saṁvarta
• Bṛhaspati
• rājarṣi (royal sage)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Sacred roles can be affected by human motives like rivalry, but the ethical weight lies in how power and wealth are used—here, wealth is directed to a righteous ruler, supporting dharmic governance and ritual order.

What is happening in the narrative?

Nārada recounts that the sage Saṁvarta, competing with Bṛhaspati, served as the officiating priest for a king-sage’s sacrifice and then granted that royal sage wealth.