Shloka 31

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

Devanagari script

उज्छमप्राप्तवानेव ब्राह्मण: क्षुच्छूमान्वित: । स तथैव क्षुधाविष्ट: सार्ध परिजनेन ह

Transliteration

uccham aprāptavān eva brāhmaṇaḥ kṣucchūmān vitaḥ | sa tathaiva kṣudhāviṣṭaḥ sārdha-parijanena ha kṣapayāmāsa taṃ kālaṃ kṛcchra-prāṇo dvijottamaḥ |

Translation

那俱罗说道：“那婆罗门为饥渴与灼热所逼，竟连一丝残食也得不到。纵使饥饿折磨、劳顿摧残，他也未寻得一粒粮食。于是他与一切依附之人同受其苦，在同样的匮乏中熬过那段时日，几乎是以极大艰难才保全性命。”

Word by Word

• उच्छम्: leftover food/alms (as object of obtaining)
• उच्छम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: उच्छ (प्रातिपदिक; उच्छिष्ट/भिक्षा-अर्थे)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• अप्राप्तवान्: not having obtained
• अप्राप्तवान्: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ-प्राप् (धातु √प्राप्) + क्तवत्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• इव: as if/like
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव

• ब्राह्मणः: the Brahmin
• ब्राह्मणः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• क्षुत्: with hunger
• क्षुत्: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षुत्
• Form: Feminine, Instrumental, Singular

• शूमान्वितः: afflicted with pain/torment
• शूमान्वितः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शू (प्रातिपदिक; शूल/पीडा) + अन्वित
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• सः: he
• सः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• तथा: thus/in that manner
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा

• एव: indeed/just
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

• क्षुधा: with hunger
• क्षुधा: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षुधा
• Form: Feminine, Instrumental, Singular

• आविष्टः: seized/overcome
• आविष्टः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आ-विश् (धातु √विश्) + क्त
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• सार्धम्: together with
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सार्धम्

• परिजनेन: with (his) family/attendants
• परिजनेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: परिजन
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• ह: indeed (particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ह

• क्षपयामास: spent/passed (time)
• Type: Verb
• Root: क्षपय् (धातु √क्षप्/क्षि ‘to spend, pass’ causative) लिट्
• Form: Perfect (लिट्), Third, Singular

• तम्: that (time)
• तम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• कालम्: time/period
• कालम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• कृच्छ्रप्राणः: with life sustained with difficulty
• कृच्छ्रप्राणः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृच्छ्र-प्राण (समास)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• द्विजोत्तमः: best of Brahmins
• द्विजोत्तमः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज-उत्तम (समास)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

नकुल उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Nakula
• a Brahmin (dvijottama)
• the Brahmin's family/dependents (parijana)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights dharmic endurance: even when reduced to seeking mere scraps and finding none, the virtuous person bears hardship without abandoning restraint or duty, sustaining life with difficulty but without ethical collapse.

What is happening in the narrative?

Nakula describes a Brahmin undergoing severe deprivation—afflicted by heat and hunger, unable to obtain even leftover food—who nevertheless passes the time together with his dependents, barely maintaining life through extreme hardship.