Mahabharata · 1.152.12–13
॥
Devanāgarī
ततः प्रगणयाम् आसुः कस्य वारो ऽद्य भोजने ॥
ज्ञात्वा चागम्य तं विप्रं पप्रच्छुः सर्व एव तत् ॥
एवं पृष्टस् तु बहुशो रक्षमाणश् च पाण्डवान् ॥
उवाच नागरान् सर्वान् इदं विप्रर्षभस् तदा ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
tataḥ pragaṇayām āsuḥ kasya vāro 'dya bhojane ||
jñātvā cāgamya taṃ vipraṃ papracchuḥ sarva eva tat ||
evaṃ pṛṣṭas tu bahuśo rakṣamāṇaś ca pāṇḍavān ||
uvāca nāgarān sarvān idaṃ viprarṣabhas tadā ||
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
ततः प्रगणयाम् आसुः कस्य वारः अद्य भोजनेtataḥ pragaṇayām āsuḥ kasya vāraḥ adya bhojanethen they began to reckon whose turn it now was with the food;
ज्ञात्वा च आगम्य तं विप्रं पप्रच्छुः सर्वे एव तत्jñātvā ca āgamya taṃ vipraṃ papracchuḥ sarve eva tatand having found out, coming to that vipra, all questioned him about it;
एवं पृष्टः तु बहुशः रक्षमाणः च पाण्डवान्evaṃ pṛṣṭaḥ tu bahuśaḥ rakṣamāṇaḥ ca pāṇḍavānthus questioned many times, yet protecting the Pandavas,
उवाच नागरान् सर्वान् इदं विप्रर्षभः तदाuvāca nāgarān sarvān idaṃ viprarṣabhaḥ tadāthe bull among brahmins then said this to all the citizens:
वारोvārooriginal form "vāro", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
ऽद्य'dyaoriginal form "'dya", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
चागम्यcāgamyaoriginal form "cāgamya", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
सर्वsarvaoriginal form "sarva", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
पृष्टस्pṛṣṭasoriginal form "pṛṣṭas", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
बहुशोbahuśooriginal form "bahuśo", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
रक्षमाणश्rakṣamāṇaśoriginal form "rakṣamāṇaś", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
विप्रर्षभस्viprarṣabhasoriginal form "viprarṣabhas", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
Translation
"Then they began to reckon whose turn it now was with the food, and having found out, coming to that vipra, all questioned him about it. Thus questioned many times, but protecting the Pandavas, the bull among brahmins then said this to all the citizens."
Version
c669f5077556 · published Jul 12, 2026, 5:19:51 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
Here the rescued brahmin guards the secret of his rescuers. It is significant that under persistent questioning he "protects the Pandavas": his gratitude is expressed not in disclosure but in loyalty — he does not betray those who asked for secrecy. True gratitude honors the benefactor's will: the brahmin repays deliverance with fidelity to the word given. Thus the scripture shows that keeping another's secret is also a matter of honor and gratitude; and the brahmin, deflecting curiosity, shields the exiles just as they shielded him.