Shloka 18

कुन्ती-युधिष्ठिर-संवादः — Kuntī’s Counsel on Departing for Pāñcāla

Devanagari script

इह मासं प्रतीक्षध्वमागमिष्याम्यहं पुन: । देशकालौ विदित्वैव लप्स्यध्वं परमां मुदम्‌,“तुमलोग यहाँ एक मासतक मेरी प्रतीक्षा करो। मैं पुन: आऊँगा। देश और कालका विचार करके ही कोई कार्य करना चाहिये; इससे तुम्हें बड़ा सुख मिलेगा”

Transliteration

iha māsaṃ pratīkṣadhvam āgamiṣyāmy ahaṃ punaḥ | deśakālau viditvaiva lapsyadhvaṃ paramāṃ mudam ||

Translation

„Wartet hier einen Monat auf mich; ich werde wiederkommen. Erst nachdem man Ort und Zeit recht erkannt hat, soll man ein Vorhaben beginnen—durch solch besonnenes Urteil werdet ihr die höchste Freude erlangen.“

Word by Word

इहhere

मासम्a month (for the duration)

प्रतीक्षध्वम्wait (you all)

आगमिष्यामिI shall come

अहम्I

पुनःagain

देशकालौplace and time

विदित्वाhaving known/considered

एवindeed/only

लप्स्यध्वम्you will obtain

परमाम्supreme/greatest

मुदम्joy

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

One should act only after carefully judging deśa (the situation/place) and kāla (the right time). Such discernment and patience lead to the best outcome and lasting happiness.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana reports a speaker instructing others to remain where they are for a month while he departs and promises to return, emphasizing that decisions should be made with proper consideration of time and circumstances.