Shloka 34
Devanagari script
नकुल: सहदेवश्न बीभत्सुश्च॒ परंतप । चिरं गतास्तोयहेतोर्न चागच्छन्ति भारत
Transliteration
nakulaḥ sahadevaś ca bībhatsuś ca parantapa | ciraṁ gatās toy-hetoḥ na ca āgacchanti bhārata ||
Translation
夜叉说道：“那俱罗与娑诃提婆，以及毗婆兹（阿周那）也在内，噬敌如火者啊——他们早已为寻水而去，却至今未归，婆罗多啊。”
Word by Word
नकुलःNakula
नकुलः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootनकुल
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
सहदेवःSahadeva
सहदेवः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootसहदेव
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
बीभत्सुःBibhatsu (Arjuna)
बीभत्सुः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootबीभत्सु
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
चand
च:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootच
परंतपO scorcher of foes (epithet)
परंतप:
TypeNoun
Rootपरंतप
FormMasculine, Vocative, Singular
चिरम्for a long time
चिरम्:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootचिरम्
गताःgone
गताः:
Karta
TypeVerb
Rootगम्
Formक्त (past passive participle), Masculine, Nominative, Plural
तोयहेतोःfor the sake of water (because of water)
तोयहेतोः:
Apadana
TypeNoun
Rootतोय-हेतु
FormMasculine, Ablative, Singular
नnot
न:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootन
चand
च:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootच
आगच्छन्तिthey come back / they return
आगच्छन्ति:
TypeVerb
Rootआ-गम्
FormPresent (Lat), Third, Plural, Parasmaipada
भारतO Bharata
भारत:
TypeNoun
Rootभारत
FormMasculine, Vocative, Singular
Speaker
यक्ष उवाच
Characters & Entities
Y
YakṣaN
NakulaS
SahadevaB
Bībhatsu (Arjuna)P
Parantapa (Yudhiṣṭhira)B
Bhārata (Yudhiṣṭhira)W
waterCharacter Dynamics
Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)
War Context
Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)
Philosophical Teaching
Political Layer
Geographic Context
Meter (Chandas)
Sandhi Notes
Educational Q&A
The verse sets up an ethical test: when companions fail to return, one must respond with steadiness and discernment rather than impulsive action—preparing the ground for dharma-centered questioning and truthful speech.
The Yakṣa informs Yudhiṣṭhira that his brothers Nakula, Sahadeva, and Arjuna went to fetch water and have been gone a long time without returning, prompting Yudhiṣṭhira to investigate and face the Yakṣa’s challenge.