Shloka 9

Bhīmasena’s Admonition to Yudhiṣṭhira on Rājya and the Ordering of Dharma–Artha–Kāma

Book 3, Chapter 34

Devanagari script

वने समा द्वादश राजपुत्र यथाकामं विदितमजातशत्रो | अथापरं चाविदितं चरेथा: सर्वे: सह भ्रातृभिश्छझगूढ:,“राजकुमार अजातशत्रो! (यदि आप हार जायेँ तो) आपको बारह वर्षोतक इच्छानुसार सबकी जानकारीमें और पुनः एक वर्षतक गुप्त वेषमें छिपे रहकर अपने भाइयोंके साथ वनमें निवास करना पड़ेगा

Transliteration

vane samā dvādaśa rājaputra yathākāmaṃ viditam ajātaśatro | athāparaṃ cāviditaṃ carethāḥ sarvaiḥ saha bhrātṛbhiś channagūḍhaḥ ||

Translation

Yudhiṣṭhira sprach: „O Prinz Ajātaśatru, du musst zwölf volle Jahre im Wald wohnen, nach Belieben umherziehen, doch so, dass es allen bekannt ist; und danach noch ein weiteres Jahr musst du unerkannt leben—verborgen und verhüllt—umherwandernd zusammen mit all deinen Brüdern.“

Word by Word

• वने: in the forest
• वने: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: वन
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• समा: years
• समा: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: सम (वर्ष)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• द्वादश: twelve
• द्वादश: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्वादश
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• राजपुत्र: O prince
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजपुत्र
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• यथा: as / according to
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा

• कामम्: wish; desire
• कामम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: काम
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• विदितम्: known; openly known
• विदितम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विदित
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• अजातशत्रो: O Ajātaśatru (one whose enemy is not born)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अजातशत्रु
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• अथ: then; thereafter
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ

• अपरम्: another (period); further
• अपरम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अपर
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• अविदितम्: unknown; concealed
• अविदितम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अविदित
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• चरेथाः: you shall live/wander
• Type: Verb
• Root: चर्
• Form: Imperative, Second, Singular, Parasmaipada

• सर्वैः: by/with all (people)
• सर्वैः: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Instrumental, Plural

• सह: together with
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सह

• भ्रातृभिः: with (your) brothers
• भ्रातृभिः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: भ्रातृ
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• छन्नगूढः: hidden and concealed (in disguise)
• छन्नगूढः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: छन्नगूढ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

युधिछिर उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Yudhiṣṭhira
• Ajātaśatru
• the brothers (Pāṇḍavas collectively)
• forest (vana)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse underscores accountability and the binding force of agreed terms: a kṣatriya prince must accept the consequences of a wager or commitment, enduring hardship with discipline—first openly, then with strict concealment—without abandoning solidarity with his brothers.

What is happening in the narrative?

Yudhiṣṭhira states the condition of exile: twelve years of forest-dwelling in a known identity, followed by a thirteenth year living incognito, hidden and unrecognized, together with his brothers.