Mahabharata · 2.6.7–8
॥
Devanāgarī
भवान् संचरते लोकान् सदा नानाविधान् बहून् ॥
ब्रह्मणा निर्मितान् पूर्वं प्रेक्षमाणो मनोजवः ॥
ईदृशी भवता का चिद् दृष्टपूर्वा सभा क्व चित् ॥
इतो वा श्रेयसी ब्रह्मंस् तन् ममाचक्ष्व पृच्छतः ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
bhavān saṃcarate lokān sadā nānāvidhān bahūn ||
brahmaṇā nirmitān pūrvaṃ prekṣamāṇo manojavaḥ ||
īdṛśī bhavatā kā cid dṛṣṭapūrvā sabhā kva cit ||
ito vā śreyasī brahmaṃs tan mamācakṣva pṛcchataḥ ||
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
भवान् संचरते लोकान्bhavān saṃcarate lokān"You wander through the worlds
सदा नाना-विधान् बहून्sadā nānā-vidhān bahūnalways, many and various,
ब्रह्मणा निर्मितान् पूर्वम्brahmaṇā nirmitān pūrvamcreated by Brahma in ancient times,
प्रेक्षमाणः मनः-जवःprekṣamāṇaḥ manaḥ-javaḥsurveying [them], swift as thought;
ईदृशी भवता का चित्īdṛśī bhavatā kā cithave you ever, by chance,
दृष्ट-पूर्वा सभा क्व चित्dṛṣṭa-pūrvā sabhā kva citseen before, somewhere, a hall,
इतः वा श्रेयसी ब्रह्मन्itaḥ vā śreyasī brahmansuch as this, or better than this, O brahmin? —
तत् मम आचक्ष्व पृच्छतःtat mama ācakṣva pṛcchataḥtell me that, who am asking."
नानाविधान्nānāvidhānoriginal form "nānāvidhān", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
पूर्वंpūrvaṃoriginal form "pūrvaṃ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
प्रेक्षमाणोprekṣamāṇooriginal form "prekṣamāṇo", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
मनोजवःmanojavaḥoriginal form "manojavaḥ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
चिद्cidoriginal form "cid", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
दृष्टपूर्वाdṛṣṭapūrvāoriginal form "dṛṣṭapūrvā", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
इतोitooriginal form "ito", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
ब्रह्मंस्brahmaṃsoriginal form "brahmaṃs", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
तन्tanoriginal form "tan", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
ममाचक्ष्वmamācakṣvaoriginal form "mamācakṣva", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
Translation
Yudhishthira said: "You always wander through many and various worlds, created by Brahma in ancient times, surveying them, swift as thought. Have you seen anywhere before a hall such as this, or a better one, O brahmin? Tell me, who am asking."
Version
5961f5d7a01d · published Jul 16, 2026, 2:43:41 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
Here the king's curiosity is turned not toward boasting of his own but toward learning of something greater. It is significant that the question is put openly: 'or better than this?' — the righteous man does not exalt what is his own and is ready to hear of something higher. Thus the scripture shows a humble thirst for knowledge; and Narada answers.