Shloka 31

अध्याय ८ — शल्यस्य सत्कारः, वरदानं, पाण्डवसमागमश्च (Śalya’s Reception, the Boon, and Meeting the Pāṇḍavas)

Devanagari script

अज्ञातवासं घोरं च वसता दुष्करं कृतम्‌ । दुःखमेव कुत:ः सौख्य॑ भ्रष्टराज्यस्य भारत,“भारत! भयंकर अज्ञातवास करके तो तुमलोगोंने और भी दुष्कर कार्य सम्पन्न किया है। जो अपने राज्यसे वंचित हो गया हो, उसे तो कष्ट ही उठाना पड़ता है, सुख कहाँसे मिल सकता है?

Transliteration

ajñātavāsaṃ ghoraṃ ca vasatā duṣkaraṃ kṛtam | duḥkham eva kutaḥ saukhyaṃ bhraṣṭarājyasya bhārata ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana sprach: „Auch das furchtbare Leben im Verborgenen (die Zeit des Inkognito-Exils) habt ihr als ein höchst schweres Unternehmen vollbracht. Wer seines Reiches beraubt ist, dem bleibt nur Leid—woher sollte Glück kommen, o Bhārata?“

Word by Word

अज्ञातवासम्unknown residence (incognito exile)

घोरम्terrible

चand

वसताby living (while dwelling)

दुष्करम्difficult (thing)

कृतम्done, accomplished

दुःखम्sorrow, suffering

एवindeed, only

कुतःwhence? how (could it be)?

सौख्यम्happiness, comfort

भ्रष्टराज्यस्यof one deprived of kingdom

भारतO Bharata

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Bhārata (addressee; Kuru/Pāṇḍava descendant)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Loss of rightful sovereignty brings unavoidable hardship; when one is dispossessed, comfort is not easily possible. The verse underscores endurance and the ethical weight of unjust deprivation of a kingdom.

What is happening in the narrative?

The speaker reflects on the Pāṇḍavas’ completion of the perilous incognito year (ajñātavāsa) and remarks that, being deprived of their kingdom, their condition naturally yields suffering rather than happiness.