Shloka 33

Devanagari script

गच्छामि स्वस्ति ते ब्रह्मन्‌ू न मे कालात्ययो भवेत्‌ | आचार्यनुगतो मार्ग: शिष्यैरन्वास्थते सदा

Transliteration

gacchāmi svasti te brahman na me kālātyayo bhavet | ācāryānugato mārgaḥ śiṣyair anvāsthate sadā ||

Translation

Sañjaya said: “I shall go; may well-being be yours, O Brahmin. May I not lose time. The path taken by the teacher is always followed and upheld by the disciples.”

Word by Word

गच्छामिI go / I am going

स्वस्तिwell-being; hail; auspiciousness

तेto you

ब्रह्मन्O Brahman (revered one)

नnot

मेof me / my

कालात्ययःpassing of time; delay; lapse of time

भवेत्may be / should occur

आचार्य-अनुगतःfollowed by the teacher / having the teacher as follower (i.e., teacher-followed)

मार्गःpath; way

शिष्यैःby the disciples

अन्वास्थतेfollows; attends upon; keeps to

सदाalways

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

brahman (addressed person, unspecified)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the ethical force of example: a teacher’s chosen course becomes a model that disciples naturally follow. It underscores responsibility in leadership and the continuity of right conduct through the guru–śiṣya tradition.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya takes leave respectfully, offering a blessing and expressing urgency to avoid delay. He then remarks that disciples habitually follow the path set by their teacher, framing the situation in terms of guidance and imitation.