Shloka 52

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

Devanagari script

पालनाद्धि पतिस्त्वं मे भर्तासि भरणाच्च मे

Transliteration

pālanāddhi patistvaṃ me bhartāsi bharaṇācca me

Translation

那俱罗说道：“诚然，因你护佑我，你便是我的主；因你养育我，你便是我的夫。”

Word by Word

• पालनात्: from (the act of) protecting; because of protection
• पालनात्: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: पालन
• Form: Neuter, Ablative, Singular

• हि: indeed/for
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि

• पतिः: husband/lord
• पतिः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पति
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: युष्मद्
• Form: Nominative, Singular

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

• भर्ता: supporter/maintainer
• भर्ता: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: भर्तृ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• असि: are
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस्
• Form: Present, Second, Singular

• भरणात्: from (the act of) sustaining; because of maintenance
• भरणात्: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: भरण
• Form: Neuter, Ablative, Singular

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

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

Speaker

नकुल उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Nakula

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Authority in a relationship is justified through dharmic functions—protection (pālana) and sustenance (bharaṇa). The verse frames ‘pati’ and ‘bhartā’ as roles earned by responsibility rather than merely claimed by title.

What is happening in the narrative?

Nakula addresses another person directly, affirming that the other’s status as ‘lord/husband’ is grounded in concrete duties: guarding and providing. The statement functions as an ethical validation of relational hierarchy based on care.