Shloka 26

Adhyāya 90: Babhruvāhana’s Reception and the Commencement of Yudhiṣṭhira’s Aśvamedha

Devanagari script

षष्ठे काले सदा विप्रो भुड्धक्ते तैः सह सुव्रत: । षष्ठे काले कदाचित्‌ तु तस्याहारो न विद्यते

Transliteration

ṣaṣṭhe kāle sadā vipro bhṛtyabhakte taiḥ saha suvrataḥ | ṣaṣṭhe kāle kadācit tu tasyāhāro na vidyate ||

Translation

نکُل نے کہا—وہ برہمن اپنے عہد میں ثابت قدم تھا؛ ہمیشہ چھٹے مقررہ وقت پر خادموں کے لیے رکھا ہوا کھانا انہی کے ساتھ کھاتا تھا۔ مگر ایک بار جب وہی چھٹا وقت آیا تو اس کے لیے بالکل کوئی غذا میسر نہ تھی۔

Word by Word

षष्ठेon the sixth (day/time)

कालेat the time

सदाalways

विप्रःthe brahmin

भुङ्क्तेeats/partakes

तैःwith them

सहtogether with

सुव्रतःof good vow/strictly observant

षष्ठेon the sixth (day/time)

कालेat the time

कदाचित्sometimes

तुbut/indeed

तस्यof him/of that (brahmin)

आहारःfood/meal

नnot

विद्यतेexists/is found

Speaker

नकुल उवाच

Characters & Entities

Nakula

vipra (brāhmaṇa)

bhṛtya (servants)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights disciplined living and ethical endurance: a virtuous person keeps a vow and shares in the simplest fare with dependents, yet must also face moments of scarcity without abandoning righteousness.

What is happening in the narrative?

Nakula describes a brāhmaṇa who customarily eats at a fixed “sixth” time, taking the servants’ portion along with them; on one particular day, when that time comes, there is no food available for him.