Mahabharata 3.52.2 — Vana Parva, Adhyaya 52, Shloka 2

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

Devanagari script

वैशम्पायन उवाच अस्त्रहेतोर्गते पार्थे शक्रलोक॑ महात्मनि । आवसन्‌ कृष्णया सार्धथ काम्यके भरतर्षभा:

Transliteration

vaiśampāyana uvāca | astrahetoḥ gate pārthe śakralokaṁ mahātmani | āvasan kṛṣṇayā sārdhaṁ kāmyake bharatarṣabhāḥ ||

Translation

ไวศัมปายนะกล่าวว่า “ข้าแต่พระราชา เมื่อมหาตมะปารถะ (อรชุน) ไปยังโลกของศักระเพื่อแสวงหาอาวุธทิพย์แล้ว เหล่าปาณฑพผู้เป็นดุจโคอันประเสริฐแห่งวงศ์ภารตะได้พำนักอยู่ในป่ากามยกะพร้อมกับกฤษณา (เทราปที)”

Word by Word

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

• उवाच: said
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: Perfect (Paroksha-bhuta), Third, Singular

• अस्त्रहेतोः: for the purpose of weapons (weapon-lore)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्त्रहेतु
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• गते: when (he) had gone
• गते: Adhikarana
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम्
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), Masculine, Locative, Singular

• पार्थे: in/when Pārtha (Arjuna)
• पार्थे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार्थ
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• शक्रलोकम्: to Śakra's world (Indra-loka)
• शक्रलोकम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: शक्रलोक
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• महात्मनि: in the great-souled (Arjuna)
• महात्मनि: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: महात्मन्
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• आवसन्: dwelt, stayed
• Type: Verb
• Root: वस्
• Form: Imperfect (Laṅ), Third, Plural

• कृष्णया: with Kṛṣṇā (Draupadī)
• कृष्णया: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृष्णा
• Form: Feminine, Instrumental, Singular

• सार्धम्: together with
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सार्धम्

• काम्यके: in Kāmyaka (forest)
• काम्यके: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: काम्यक
• Form: Masculine/Neuter (place-name usage), Locative, Singular

• भरतर्षभाः: O bull-like Bharatas / best of Bharatas
• भरतर्षभाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: भरतर्षभ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Pārtha (Arjuna)
• Śakra (Indra)
• Śakraloka (Indra’s realm)
• Kṛṣṇā (Draupadī)
• Pāṇḍavas
• Kāmyaka forest
• Bharata lineage

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights purposeful discipline and collective steadiness: Arjuna pursues higher capability (divine weapons) for future dharmic responsibility, while the remaining Pāṇḍavas maintain unity and restraint in forest exile with Draupadī—showing that righteous ends require both personal striving and communal endurance.

What is happening in the narrative?

Arjuna has departed to Indra’s realm (Śakraloka) to obtain astras, and during his absence the other Pāṇḍavas live in the Kāmyaka forest together with Draupadī.