Mahabharata 3.37.43 — Vana Parva, Adhyaya 37, Shloka 43

Vyāsa’s Counsel to Yudhiṣṭhira: Pratismṛti-vidyā, Arjuna’s Aśtra-Quest, and the Move to Kāmyaka

Devanagari script

तच्छुत्वा सर्वतो दृष्टि चारयामास पाण्डव: | अथापश्यत्‌ सव्यसाची वृक्षमूले तपस्विनम्‌

Transliteration

tac chrutvā sarvato dṛṣṭiṃ cārayāmāsa pāṇḍavaḥ | athāpaśyat savyasācī vṛkṣamūle tapasvinam ||

Translation

Als er jene Worte hörte, ließ der Pāṇḍava (Arjuna) seinen Blick in alle Richtungen schweifen. Dann sah der beidhändig geschickte Bogenschütze am Fuß eines Baumes einen ehrwürdigen Asketen sitzen—ein Zeichen der Wendung: vom bloßen Suchen zur ehrerbietigen Begegnung mit geistlicher Autorität.

Word by Word

• तत्: that (speech/utterance)
• तत्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: neuter, accusative, singular

• श्रुत्वा: having heard
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा (absolutive/gerund), active

• सर्वतः: on all sides / everywhere
• सर्वतः: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सर्व

• दृष्टिम्: gaze, sight
• दृष्टिम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: दृष्टि
• Form: feminine, accusative, singular

• चारयामास: caused to move / cast (his gaze)
• Type: Verb
• Root: चर् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (periphrastic perfect), perfect (narrative past), third, singular, active

• पाण्डवः: the Pandava (Arjuna)
• पाण्डवः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाण्डव
• Form: masculine, nominative, singular

• अथ: then
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ

• अपश्यत्: saw
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: लङ्, imperfect (past), third, singular, active

• सव्यसाची: Savyasacin (Arjuna, ambidextrous archer)
• सव्यसाची: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: सव्यसाचिन्
• Form: masculine, nominative, singular

• वृक्ष: of a tree
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृक्ष
• Form: masculine, genitive, singular

• मूले: at the root
• मूले: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: मूल
• Form: neuter, locative, singular

• तपस्विनम्: an ascetic
• तपस्विनम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस्विन्
• Form: masculine, accusative, singular

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Arjuna
• Pāṇḍava
• tapasvin (ascetic)
• vṛkṣa (tree)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights attentive seeking and receptivity: after hearing, Arjuna looks carefully in all directions and is led to a tapasvin. Ethically, it suggests that right action in uncertainty begins with alert perception and a willingness to approach spiritual counsel.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana narrates that Arjuna, having heard a voice or words, scans the surroundings and then notices an ascetic seated at the base of a tree—setting up an impending dialogue or guidance in the forest setting.