Shloka 34

Devanagari script

नकुल: सहदेवश्न बीभत्सुश्च॒ परंतप । चिरं गतास्तोयहेतोर्न चागच्छन्ति भारत

Transliteration

nakulaḥ sahadevaś ca bībhatsuś ca parantapa | ciraṁ gatās toy-hetoḥ na ca āgacchanti bhārata ||

Translation

یَکش نے کہا—اے پرنتپ! نکُل، سہ دیو اور بیبھتسو (ارجن) بھی پانی کی تلاش میں بہت دیر پہلے گئے تھے؛ اے بھارت، وہ اب تک واپس نہیں آئے۔

Word by Word

• नकुलः: Nakula
• नकुलः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: नकुल
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• सहदेवः: Sahadeva
• सहदेवः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: सहदेव
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• बीभत्सुः: Bibhatsu (Arjuna)
• बीभत्सुः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: बीभत्सु
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• परंतप: O scorcher of foes (epithet)
• Type: Noun
• Root: परंतप
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• चिरम्: for a long time
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: चिरम्

• गताः: gone
• गताः: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम्
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• तोयहेतोः: for the sake of water (because of water)
• तोयहेतोः: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: तोय-हेतु
• Form: Masculine, Ablative, Singular

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

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• आगच्छन्ति: they come back / they return
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-गम्
• Form: Present (Lat), Third, Plural, Parasmaipada

• भारत: O Bharata
• Type: Noun
• Root: भारत
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

Speaker

यक्ष उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Yakṣa
• Nakula
• Sahadeva
• Bībhatsu (Arjuna)
• Parantapa (Yudhiṣṭhira)
• Bhārata (Yudhiṣṭhira)
• water

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse sets up an ethical test: when companions fail to return, one must respond with steadiness and discernment rather than impulsive action—preparing the ground for dharma-centered questioning and truthful speech.

What is happening in the narrative?

The Yakṣa informs Yudhiṣṭhira that his brothers Nakula, Sahadeva, and Arjuna went to fetch water and have been gone a long time without returning, prompting Yudhiṣṭhira to investigate and face the Yakṣa’s challenge.