Shloka 22

Devanagari script

निःशब्दे च स्थिते तत्र ततो विप्रजने पुन: । राजानं ब्राह्मणच्छय््या चार्वाको राक्षसो<ब्रवीत्‌,जब सब ब्राह्मण चुपचाप खड़े हो गये, तब ब्राह्मणका वेष बनाकर आया हुआ चार्वाक नामक राक्षस राजा युधिष्ठिरसे कुछ कहनेको उद्यत हुआ

Transliteration

niḥśabde ca sthite tatra tato viprajane punaḥ | rājānaṃ brāhmaṇacchāyā cārvāko rākṣaso 'bravīt ||

Translation

Khi mọi người ở đó đều lặng thinh, và hội chúng các bà-la-môn lại đứng yên không nói, thì con la-sát tên Cārvāka—đã khoác lên mình dáng vẻ một bà-la-môn—liền sửa soạn cất lời trước vua Yudhiṣṭhira.

Word by Word

निःशब्देin silence / when (it was) silent

चand

स्थितेhaving stood / being (in a state)

तत्रthere

ततःthen / thereafter

विप्रजनेamong the Brahmin people/assembly

पुनःagain / further

राजानम्the king

ब्राह्मणच्छाय्याwith the guise/appearance of a Brahmin

चार्वाकःCharvaka (name)

राक्षसःthe demon

अब्रवीत्said / spoke

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Cārvāka

Yudhiṣṭhira

Brāhmaṇas

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights that outward signs of sanctity or authority can be counterfeit; dharma requires viveka (discernment) so that a king or community is not misled by appearances.

What is happening in the narrative?

After the brāhmaṇas fall silent in the assembly, the rākṣasa Cārvāka, disguised as a brāhmaṇa, steps forward to speak to King Yudhiṣṭhira, setting up a moment of moral and political testing.