Shloka 22

Ādi Parva, Adhyāya 146 — Brāhmaṇī’s counsel on grief, duty, and protection of children

Devanagari script

यदि विन्देत चाकारमस्माकं स पुरोचन: । क्षिप्रकारी ततो भूत्वा प्रदह्मयादपि हेतुत:,यदि पुरोचन हमारी किसी भी चेष्टासे हमारे भीतरी मनोभावको ताड़ लेगा तो वह शीघ्रतापूर्वक अपना काम बनानेके लिये उद्यत हो हमें किसी-न-किसी हेतुसे जला भी सकता है

Transliteration

yadi vindeta cākāram asmākaṃ sa purocanaḥ | kṣiprakārī tato bhūtvā pradahmyād api hetutaḥ ||

Translation

Yudhiṣṭhira sprach: „Wenn jener Purocana unsere wahre Absicht erkennt, wird er rasch handeln; darauf bedacht, seinen Auftrag zu vollenden, könnte er uns sogar unter irgendeinem Vorwand verbrennen.“

Word by Word

यदिif

विन्देत्should find / were to discover

चand

आकारम्form; sign; intention (lit. appearance)

अस्माकम्of us / our

सःhe

पुरोचनःPurocana

क्षिप्रकारीquick-acting; prompt in action

ततःthen; thereafter

भूत्वाhaving become

प्रदह्मयात्might burn; should burn

अपिeven; also

हेतुतःfrom/for some reason; on some pretext

Speaker

युधिछिर उवाच

Characters & Entities

Yudhiṣṭhira

Purocana

fire (burning as a means of harm)

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 prudent vigilance: when facing deceit and imminent danger, one should conceal intentions, assess threats realistically, and act with timely caution to protect life and uphold dharma.

What is happening in the narrative?

Yudhiṣṭhira warns that if Purocana detects the Pāṇḍavas’ inner plan or suspicion, he will quickly move to complete his mission—possibly by arranging to burn them under some plausible pretext.