Mahabharata — Anushasana Parva, Shloka 19

Devanagari script

सोमेन दत्ता भार्या मे त्वया चापद्ताद्य वै | इत्युक्तो वचनात्‌ तस्य नारदेन जलेश्वर:

Transliteration

somena dattā bhāryā me tvayā cāpahṛtādyavai | ity ukto vacanāt tasya nāradena jaleśvaraḥ ||

Translation

阿周那说道：“我妻乃苏摩所赐于我，然而今日却被你夺去。”据那罗陀转述，如此言辞直指之下，水界之主被迫面对指控，凸显了正当婚姻之权与滥用权势之间的伦理张力。

Word by Word

• सोमेन: by Soma
• सोमेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: सोम
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• दत्ता: given
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• भार्या: wife
• भार्या: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: भार्या
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• मे: my / to me
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: Genitive, Singular

• त्वया: by you
• त्वया: Karana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: युष्मद्
• Form: Instrumental, Singular

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

• अपहृता: taken away / abducted
• Type: Verb
• Root: अप-हृ
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• अद्य: today / now
• अद्य: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अद्य

• वै: indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै

• इति: thus
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति

• उक्तः: having been addressed / spoken to
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• वचनात्: from (those) words / because of the statement
• वचनात्: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: वचन
• Form: Neuter, Ablative, Singular

• तस्य: of him
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Singular

• नारदेन: by Narada
• नारदेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: नारद
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• जल-ईश्वरः: the lord of the waters (Varuṇa)
• जल-ईश्वरः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: जल + ईश्वर
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

अजुन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Arjuna
• Soma
• Nārada
• Jaleśvara (Varuṇa)
• Bhāryā (Arjuna’s wife)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights dharma in marital rights and the ethical wrong of taking what is rightfully given to another, while also showing the role of credible testimony (Nārada’s word) in establishing accountability.

What is happening in the narrative?

Arjuna confronts the ‘Lord of the Waters’ (Varuṇa), asserting that his wife—granted to him by Soma—has been taken away, and this confrontation is prompted/confirmed by Nārada’s report.