Shloka 8

युधिष्ठिरप्रश्नः—विश्वामित्रस्य ब्राह्मणत्वकौतूहलम् | Yudhiṣṭhira’s Inquiry on Viśvāmitra’s Attainment of Brāhmaṇya

Devanagari script

नाभिवादयते ज्येष्ठं देवरातं नराधिप । पुत्रा: पज्चाशदेवापि शप्ता: श्वपचतां गता:

Transliteration

Yudhiṣṭhira uvāca: nābhivādayate jyeṣṭhaṃ Devarātaṃ narādhipa; putrāḥ pañcāśad evāpi śaptāḥ śvapacatāṃ gatāḥ.

Translation

Wika ni Yudhiṣṭhira: «O hari, hindi sila yumukod kay Devarāta, ang panganay. Kaya’t maging ang limampung anak na iyon, nang masumpa, ay nahulog sa kalagayang śvapaca (mga itinakwil).» Ipinakikita ng siping ito ang bigat ng dharma sa paggalang sa nakatatanda at sa wastong pag-una sa loob ng angkan; ang pagtanggi sa nararapat na paggalang ay inilalarawan bilang paglabag na may mabibigat na bunga sa lipunan at sa espiritu.

Word by Word

• {'nābhivādayate': 'did not salute / did not pay respectful obeisance', 'jyeṣṭham': 'the eldest (son/brother)

• senior-most', 'Devarātam': 'Devarāta (proper name

• here, Viśvāmitra’s eldest son, also associated with Śunaḥśepa in later tradition)', 'narādhipa': 'O ruler of men

• king', 'putrāḥ': 'sons', 'pañcāśat': 'fifty', 'eva': 'indeed

• even', 'api': 'also

• even', 'śaptāḥ': 'cursed', 'śvapaca': 'dog-cooker

• a term for an outcaste/caṇḍāla in classical usage', 'śvapacatām gatāḥ': 'went to the state/condition of śvapacas (became outcastes)'}

Speaker

युधिछिर उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Yudhiṣṭhira
• Devarāta
• Viśvāmitra
• Śunaḥśepa
• the fifty sons of Viśvāmitra
• narādhipa (the addressed king)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse stresses that honoring the rightful senior (jyeṣṭha) is a duty within dharma; deliberate refusal of respect is treated as a serious moral fault that can bring severe consequences.

What is happening in the narrative?

Yudhiṣṭhira recounts that Devarāta, the eldest, was not saluted by his younger brothers; as a result, they were cursed and are said to have become śvapacas (outcastes).