Shloka 12

Devanagari script

वहाँ सारसोंसे घिरे हुए जलाशयका स्वच्छ जल देखकर नकुलको उसे पीनेकी इच्छा हुई। इतनेमें ही आकाशसे उनके कानोंमें एक स्पष्ट वाणी सुनायी दी ।। यक्ष उवाच मा तात साहसं कार्षीमम पूर्वपरिग्रह: । प्रश्नानुक्त्वा तु माद्रेय ततः पिब हरस्व च,यक्ष बोला--तात! तुम इस सरोवरका पानी पीनेका साहस न करो। इसपर पहलेसे ही मेरा अधिकार हो चुका है। माद्रीकुमार! पहले मेरे प्रश्नोंका उत्तर दे दो, फिर पानी पीओ और ले भी जाओ

Transliteration

yakṣa uvāca | mā tāta sāhasaṁ kārṣīr mamāyaṁ pūrva-parigrahaḥ | praśnān uktvā tu mādreya tataḥ piba harasva ca ||

Translation

Yakṣa nói: “Này con, chớ hành động liều lĩnh. Hồ này đã thuộc quyền ta từ trước. Hỡi con của Mādrī, hãy trả lời các câu hỏi của ta trước; rồi hãy uống, và còn có thể mang nước đi.”

Word by Word

यक्षःthe Yaksha

उवाचsaid/spoke

माdo not

तातdear one/son

साहसम्rash act/temerity

कार्षीःyou should do/make

अहम्I

पूर्वपरिग्रहःone who has prior claim/previous possessor

प्रश्नान्questions

उक्त्वाhaving answered/said

तुbut/then

माद्रेयO son of Madri

ततःthen/thereafter

पिबdrink

हरस्वtake away/carry off

चand

Speaker

यक्ष उवाच

Characters & Entities

Yaksha

Nakula (Mādreya, son of Madri)

the lake/pond (jalāśaya/sarovara)

water (jala)

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?

Restrain impulsive desire and respect rightful ownership/authority; knowledge and ethical inquiry (answering questions) must precede enjoyment of resources.

What is happening in the narrative?

As Nakula approaches a clear lake to drink, a disembodied voice—the Yaksha—claims the lake and forbids him to drink until he answers a set of questions, setting up the famous Yaksha-prashna episode.