Mahabharata 3.39.23 — Vana Parva, Adhyaya 39, Shloka 23

Arjuna’s Himalayan Departure and the Commencement of Severe Tapas

Janamejaya’s Inquiry; Sages Approach Śiva

Devanagari script

न मत्कृते त्वया वीर भी: कार्या वनमन्तिकात्‌ । इयं भूमि: सदास्माकमुचिता वसतां वने,“वीर! तुम हमारे लिये वनके निकट आनेके कारण भय न करो। हम तो वनवासी हैं, अतः हमारे लिये इस भूमिपर विचरना सदा उचित ही है

Transliteration

na matkṛte tvayā vīra bhīḥ kāryā vanam antikāt | iyaṃ bhūmiḥ sadāsmākam ucitā vasatāṃ vane ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana sprach: „O Held, fürchte dich nicht unseretwegen, weil du dich dem Wald genähert hast. Wir sind Bewohner der Wildnis; für uns ist es stets angemessen, auf diesem Land umherzugehen.“

Word by Word

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• मत्कृते: for my sake / on my account
• मत्कृते: Sampradana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मत् + कृते
• Form: kṛte: locative singular (neuter) used adverbially; mat: genitive sense 'for me/us'

• त्वया: by you
• त्वया: Karana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: त्वद्
• Form: Instrumental singular

• वीर: O hero
• Type: Noun
• Root: वीर
• Form: Masculine, vocative singular

• भीः: fear
• भीः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: भी
• Form: Feminine, nominative singular

• कार्या: to be done / to be made
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कार्य
• Form: Feminine, nominative singular (agreeing with भीः); gerundive (to be done)

• वनम्: forest
• वनम्: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: वन
• Form: Neuter, accusative singular

• अन्तिकात्: from near / from the vicinity
• अन्तिकात्: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्तिक
• Form: Neuter, ablative singular

• इयम्: this
• इयम्: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: इदम्
• Form: Feminine, nominative singular

• भूमिः: ground/land
• भूमिः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूमि
• Form: Feminine, nominative singular

• सदा: always
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा

• अस्माकम्: of us / our
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: Genitive plural

• उचिता: proper/suitable
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उचित
• Form: Feminine, nominative singular (agreeing with भूमिः); past passive participle sense 'proper/suitable'

• वसताम्: of (those) dwelling/living
• Type: Verb
• Root: वस्
• Form: Present active participle (śatṛ), genitive plural (masc./neut.) used substantively: 'of those dwelling'

• वने: in the forest
• वने: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: वन
• Form: Neuter, locative singular

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• vīra (an addressed hero)
• vana (forest)
• bhūmi (land/region)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse teaches steadiness and propriety: those accustomed to the forest should not be treated as endangered merely because others approach the wilderness. Fear is to be governed by context and duty (ucita), not by assumption.

What is happening in the narrative?

The speaker reassures an addressed hero that his coming near the forest should not cause anxiety on their behalf, because they are forest-dwellers for whom this terrain is natural and appropriate.