Shloka 36

शान्ति पर्व (अध्याय 38): युधिष्ठिरस्य राजधर्म-जिज्ञासा तथा भीष्मोपसर्पण-प्रस्तावना | Shanti Parva Chapter 38: Yudhishthira’s Inquiry into Rajadharma and the Prelude to Approaching Bhishma

Devanagari script

स पपात विनिर्दग्धस्तेजसा ब्रह्म॒वादिनाम्‌ महेन्द्राशनिनिर्दग्ध: पादपो5ड्कुरवानिव

Transliteration

sa papāta vinirdagdhas tejasā brahmavādinām | mahendrāśaninirdagdhaḥ pādapo 'ṅkuravān iva ||

Translation

那罗刹被宣说梵法的婆罗门大德之威光（tejas）灼烧，遂仆倒于地——恰如一株尚带新芽之树，遭摩诃因陀罗（因陀罗）之金刚雷霆击中焚毁而倾覆。

Word by Word

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

• पपात: fell
• Type: Verb
• Root: पत्
• Form: Perfect (Liṭ), Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

• विनिर्दग्धः: burnt up, scorched
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विनिर्दग्ध (नि+दह्, past passive participle)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• तेजसा: by the radiance/power
• तेजसा: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: तेजस्
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• ब्रह्मवादिनाम्: of the Brahman-speakers (brahmins/ascetics)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मवादिन्
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• महेन्द्राशनिनिर्दग्धः: burnt by Mahendra's thunderbolt
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महेन्द्र-आशनि-निर्दग्ध
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• पादपः: a tree
• पादपः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पादप
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• अङ्कुरवान्: having sprouts
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अङ्कुरवत्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

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

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• brahmavādins (Brahman-sages)
• rākṣasa
• Mahendra (Indra)
• aśani (thunderbolt)
• pādapa (tree with sprouts)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights that the moral-spiritual force (tejas) of dharmic sages can overpower destructive aggression; ethical discipline and truth-bearing authority are portrayed as a higher power than mere physical might.

What is happening in the narrative?

A rākṣasa, unable to withstand the burning radiance of the brahmavādins, collapses—compared to a sprouting tree felled after being scorched by Indra’s thunderbolt.