Shloka 116
Adhyāya 90: Babhruvāhana’s Reception and the Commencement of Yudhiṣṭhira’s Aśvamedha
वैशम्पायन उवाच इत्युक्त्वा नकुल: सर्वान् यज्ञे द्विजवरांस्तदा
vaiśampāyana uvāca—ity uktvā nakulaḥ sarvān yajñe dvijavarān tadā
毗湿摩波耶那说道：如此说罢，那俱罗便在祭仪之中，对在座诸位最尊贵的婆罗门一一陈言。（在此段叙事里，训诫既出，那奇异之兽便自祭场遁去无踪，婆罗门们亦各自散归——昭示若无真实的达摩与悲悯，仪式的宏盛终究只是道义上的空壳。）
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The passage functions as a narrative hinge: it points to the Mahābhārata’s recurring ethical claim that ritual performance (yajña) gains true worth only when grounded in dharma—right intention, humility, and compassion—rather than mere scale, prestige, or external correctness.
Vaiśampāyana reports that, after speaking, Nakula addresses the assembled eminent Brāhmaṇas at the sacrifice. In the surrounding episode’s flow, the extraordinary creature that had appeared at the yajña vanishes, and the Brāhmaṇas depart to their homes, marking the close of the incident and its moral reflection.