Mahabharata — Ashvamedhika Parva, Shloka 118

Adhyāya 90: Babhruvāhana’s Reception and the Commencement of Yudhiṣṭhira’s Aśvamedha

Devanagari script

एतत्‌ ते सर्वमाख्यातं मया परपुरंजय । यदाश्चर्यमभूत्‌ तत्र वाजिमेथे महाक्रतो

Transliteration

etad te sarvam ākhyātaṃ mayā parapuraṃjaya | yad āścaryam abhūt tatra vājimethe mahākratau ||

Translation

毗湿摩波耶那说道：噢，攻破敌城者啊，我已将那在伟大的阿湿婆美陀大祭之中，于彼处发生的奇异事件，前因后果尽数告知于你。

Word by Word

• एतत्: this (all this)
• एतत्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: एतद्
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• ते: to you
• ते: Sampradana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: युष्मद्
• Form: —, Dative, Singular

• सर्वम्: all
• सर्वम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• आख्यातम्: told/related
• आख्यातम्: Karma
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-ख्या
• Form: Past passive participle (क्त), Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• मया: by me
• मया: Karana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: —, Instrumental, Singular

• परपुरंजय: O conqueror of enemy cities
• परपुरंजय: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: पर-पुरंजय
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• यत्: which/what
• यत्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद्
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• आश्चर्यम्: a wonder, marvel
• आश्चर्यम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: आश्चर्य
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• अभूत्: happened/was
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू
• Form: Aorist (लुङ्), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र

• वाजिमेथे: in the horse-sacrifice (Aśvamedha)
• वाजिमेथे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाजिमेथ
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• महाक्रतो: O performer of a great sacrifice / O great-sacrificer
• महाक्रतो: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: महाक्रतु
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Janamejaya
• Aśvamedha (Vājimetha)
• Mahākratu (great sacrifice)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse underscores faithful transmission of sacred history: the narrator completes an account of a marvel connected with a major royal ritual, highlighting the importance of truthful, complete narration in preserving dharma and royal memory.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana addresses King Janamejaya and concludes that he has fully related the extraordinary incident that took place during the great Aśvamedha (horse-sacrifice) rite.