Shloka 4

Devanagari script

निःसंशयात्‌ संशयितो मृत्युर्मातर्विशिष्यते । चर खे त्वं यथान्यायं पुत्रानाप्स्यसि शोभनान्‌,माँ! संशयरहित मृत्युसे संशययुक्त मृत्यु अच्छी है (क्योंकि उसमें बच जानेकी भी आशा होती है); अतः तुम आकाशमें उड़ जाओ। तुम्हें फिर (धर्मानुकूल रीतिसे) सुन्दर पुत्रोंकी प्राप्ति हो जायगी

Transliteration

niḥsaṃśayāt saṃśayito mṛtyur mātar viśiṣyate | cara khe tvaṃ yathānyāyaṃ putrān āpsyasi śobhanān, māṃ |

Translation

Vaiśampāyana sprach: „O Mutter, ein Tod, der von Ungewissheit begleitet ist, ist besser als ein Tod ohne jeden Zweifel—denn in der Ungewissheit bleibt noch die Möglichkeit der Rettung. Darum zieh durch den Himmel, wie es recht ist; und gemäß dem Dharma wirst du wieder edle und schöne Söhne erlangen.“

Word by Word

निःसंशयात्from/than a doubtless (death)

संशयितःdoubtful, uncertain

मृत्युःdeath

मातर्O mother

विशिष्यतेis superior/excels

चरgo, move

खेin the sky/space

त्वम्you

यथाas, according to

अन्यायम्injustice, improper way

पुत्रान्sons

आप्स्यसिyou will obtain

शोभनान्beautiful, excellent

माम्me

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśaṃpāyana

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 values hope and moral possibility: when outcomes are uncertain, one should not surrender to fatalism, because uncertainty can preserve a chance for survival and future good; therefore one should act in a dharmic, proper way rather than accept a fixed doom.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśaṃpāyana reports advice addressed to a ‘mother’: she is urged to move through the sky and follow what is proper, with the assurance that she can again obtain excellent sons—implying a turn away from certain destruction toward a hopeful, dharma-aligned course.