Shloka 18

Devanagari script

वैशम्पायन उवाच तत्र सभ्रातृकः स्नात्वा स्तूयमानो महर्षिभि: । लोमशं पाण्डवश्रेष्ठ इंदे वचनमब्रवीत्‌,वैशम्पायनजी कहते हैं--जनमेजय! तदनन्तर भाइयोंसहित स्नान करके महर्षियोंद्वारा प्रशंसित हो पाण्डवश्रेष्ठ युधिष्ठिरने लोमशजीसे इस प्रकार कहा--

Transliteration

vaiśampāyana uvāca | tatra sabhrātṛkaḥ snātvā stūyamāno maharṣibhiḥ | lomaśaṃ pāṇḍavaśreṣṭha indre vacanam abravīt |

Translation

毗舍波耶那说道：在那里，他与诸兄弟一同沐浴，复蒙大圣仙众称赞；般度诸子之最的由提施提罗遂以如下言辞对罗摩沙说道。

Word by Word

वैशम्पायनःVaiśampāyana

उवाचsaid

तत्रthere

स-भ्रातृकःtogether with (his) brothers

स्नात्वाhaving bathed

स्तूयमानःbeing praised

महर्षिभिःby great sages

लोमशम्Lomaśa (sage)

पाण्डव-श्रेष्ठःthe best of the Pāṇḍavas

इदम्this

वचनम्speech/words

अब्रवीत्said/spoke

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Janamejaya

Yudhiṣṭhira

Lomaśa

Pāṇḍavas

Mahārṣis (great seers)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights dharmic preparation: purification (snāna), humility, and receptivity to sage-guidance. Ethical counsel is framed as most effective when approached with discipline and reverence.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana narrates to King Janamejaya that Yudhiṣṭhira, after bathing with his brothers and being praised by the assembled sages, begins speaking to the sage Lomaśa—introducing the next exchange in the chapter.