Shloka 21

एकचक्रानिवासे ब्राह्मणगृहदुःखश्रवणम् | Hearing the Brāhmaṇa Household’s Distress at Ekacakrā

Devanagari script

यो जानाति परप्रज्ञां नीतिशास्त्रानुसारिणीम्‌ । विज्ञायेह तथा कुर्यादापद॑ निस्तरेद्‌ यथा

Transliteration

yo jānāti paraprajñāṁ nītiśāstrānusāriṇīm | vijñāyeha tathā kuryād āpadaṁ nistared yathā ||

Translation

He who understands another’s intelligence—how it follows the principles of statecraft and ethical policy—should, having discerned it here, act accordingly, so that he may cross over a crisis in the proper way.

Word by Word

यःwho

जानातिknows

पर-प्रज्ञाम्another's intelligence / the intelligence of others

नीति-शास्त्र-अनुसारिणीम्following in accordance with the science of polity/ethics

विज्ञायhaving understood/ascertained

इहhere; in this world/instance

तथाthus; in that manner

कुर्यात्should do

आपदःcalamities; dangers

निस्तरेत्would cross over; would overcome

यथाso that; in such a way that

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse teaches practical wisdom: discern the mindset and judgment of others—especially how they operate according to policy and ethical norms—and then respond appropriately. Such calibrated action helps one navigate and overcome times of danger (āpada).

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana, in the course of narrating the Mahābhārata, states a general maxim of conduct: success in difficult situations depends on correctly reading others’ intentions and capacities and acting with nīti (prudent, principled strategy) so that adversity can be safely crossed.