Shloka 9

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

Devanagari script

ततः समेत्य नकुलं॑ पर्यपृच्छन्त ते द्विजा: । कुतस्त्वं समनुप्राप्तो यज्ञं साधुसमागमम्‌

Transliteration

tataḥ sametya nakulaṁ paryapṛcchanta te dvijāḥ | kutas tvaṁ samanupprāpto yajñaṁ sādhusamāgamam ||

Translation

于是诸婆罗门贤者聚拢到那俱罗周围，环而问之：“那俱罗！你从何处来到此地？此祭乃正义之士的会集。”

Word by Word

• ततः: then, thereafter
• ततः: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः

• समेत्य: having approached/come together
• समेत्य: Adhikarana
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-इ
• Form: ल्यप् (absolutive/gerund), कर्तरि

• नकुलम्: Nakula (mongoose)
• नकुलम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: नकुल
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• पर्यपृच्छन्: asked (repeatedly)/questioned
• पर्यपृच्छन्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: परि-प्रच्छ्
• Form: Imperfect (लङ्), 3rd, Plural, Parasmaipada

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

• द्विजाः: brahmins (twice-born)
• द्विजाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• कुतः: from where
• कुतः: Apadana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कुतः

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

• समनुप्राप्तः: has arrived/has come
• समनुप्राप्तः: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-अनु-प्र-आप्
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• यज्ञम्: sacrifice, yajna
• यज्ञम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: यज्ञ
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• साधु-समागमम्: gathering/assembly of the good (saints)
• साधु-समागमम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: समागम
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

वैशग्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Nakula
• Dvijas (brahmins)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Sacred rites are guarded by ethical discernment: the learned community examines who participates, implying that proximity to ritual must align with inner worthiness and dharmic conduct.

What is happening in the narrative?

At the Aśvamedha sacrifice, brahmins surround and question “Nakula,” asking how he has come to a gathering meant for the righteous—setting up a test of identity and merit within the ritual arena.