tām - that (lamentation); arjunaḥ - Arjuna; upaśrutya - happening to hear; karhicit - once; keśava - of Lord Kṛṣṇa; antike - in the proximity; parete - having died; navame - the ninth; bāle - child; brāhmaṇam - to the brāhmaṇa; samabhāṣata - he said; kim svit - whether; brahman - O brāhmaṇa; tvat - your; nivāse - at the home; iha - here; na asti - there is not; dhanuḥ-dharaḥ - holding his bow in his hand; rājanya-bandhuḥ - a fallen member of the royal order; ete - these (kṣatriyas); vaḥ - indeed; brāhmaṇāḥ - (like) brāhmaṇas; satre - at a major fire sacrifice; āsate - are present.

When the ninth child died, Arjuna, who was near Lord Keśava, happened to overhear the brāhmaṇa lamenting. Thus Arjuna addressed the brāhmaṇa: “What is the matter, my dear brāhmaṇa? Isn’t there some lowly member of the royal order here who can at least stand before your house with a bow in his hand? These kṣatriyas are behaving as if they were brāhmaṇas idly engaged in fire sacrifices.