Shloka 8

कालविभाग-निरूपणं तथा युद्धव्यवस्था

Time-Reckoning and Mobilization Counsel

Devanagari script

उत्तरं मार्गमाणानां मत्स्यानां च युयुत्सताम्‌ । यदि बीभत्सुरायातस्तदा कस्यापराध्नुम:

Transliteration

uttaraṁ mārgamāṇānāṁ matsyānāṁ ca yuyutsatām | yadi bībhatsur āyātas tadā kasyāparādhnumḥ ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana sprach: „Wenn die Matsyas nach Uttara suchen und sich zum Kampf rüsten und Bībhatsu (Arjuna) bereits eingetroffen ist — gegen wen könnte dann noch Schuld oder Tadel bestehen?“

Word by Word

उत्तरम्Uttara (name); also 'the northern/upper' (here: Uttara)

मार्गमाणानाम्of (those) seeking/searching

मत्स्यानाम्of the Matsyas

चand

युयुत्सताम्of (those) wishing to fight

यदिif

बीभत्सुःBībhatsu (Arjuna)

आयातःhas come/arrived

तदाthen

कस्यof whom/whose

अपराध्नुमःdo we offend/are we at fault (against)?

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Uttara

Matsyas

Bībhatsu (Arjuna)

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 highlights moral accountability in crisis: when a righteous protector like Arjuna (Bībhatsu) is present, blame and wrongdoing lose their footing—implying that dharmic strength and right leadership prevent disorder and unjust accusation.

What is happening in the narrative?

During the Virāṭa episode, the Matsyas are searching for Prince Uttara and readying for battle amid the conflict; the narrator notes that if Arjuna—disguised and now stepping in as Bībhatsu—has arrived, then there is no question of fault or failure, since decisive protection is at hand.