Shloka 33

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

Devanagari script

यवप्रस्थं तु त॑ं सक्तूनकुर्वन्त तपस्विन: । कृतजप्याद्विकास्ते तु हुत्वा चाग्निंयथाविधि

Transliteration

yavaprasthaṃ tu taṃ saktūn akurvanta tapasvinaḥ | kṛtajapyādvikās te tu hutvā cāgniṃ yathāvidhi

Translation

那俱罗说道：“那些苦行者以那份 yavaprastha 制作 saktu——炒熟谷粉；并在完成诵念与诸般规定行持之后，依仪轨向圣火投入供献。”

Word by Word

• यवप्रस्थम्: a yava-measure (a prastha of barley; a measure of grain)
• यवप्रस्थम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: यवप्रस्थ
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• तु: but/indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु

• तम्: him/that (one)
• तम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• सक्तून्: parched grain/flour-balls (saktu)
• सक्तून्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: सक्तु
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• अकुर्वन्त: they made/prepared
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ
• Form: Imperfect, Third, Plural, Parasmaipada

• तपस्विनः: ascetics
• तपस्विनः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस्विन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• कृतजप्याद्विकाः: those who had completed their japa and other rites
• कृतजप्याद्विकाः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृतजप्याद्विक
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• ते: they
• ते: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• तु: and/but
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु

• हुत्वा: having offered (oblations)
• Type: Verb
• Root: हु
• Form: Absolutive (Gerund), Parasmaipada

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

• अग्निम्: the fire
• अग्निम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: अग्नि
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• यथा: as/according to
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा

• विधि: the prescribed rule/rite
• विधि: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: विधि
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

नकुल उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Nakula
• tapasvinaḥ (ascetics)
• agni (sacrificial fire)
• saktu (parched-grain flour)
• yava (barley)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights disciplined living: simple food, completed recitation and observances, and ritual action performed strictly according to injunction—suggesting that inner restraint and orderly practice uphold dharma.

What is happening in the narrative?

Nakula describes ascetics who subsist on a simple barley preparation, perform japa and related observances, and then offer oblations into the sacrificial fire in the proper prescribed manner.