Shloka 3

Devanagari script

कम्मिंश्षात्मा निधातव्यस्त्रिवर्गविजयाय वै । संहृष्टा नै्ठिकं वाक्यं यथावद्‌ वक्तुमर्हथ,“इन तीनोंपर विजय पानेके लिये विशेषत: किसमें मन लगाना चाहिये। आप सब लोग हर्ष और उत्साहके साथ इस प्रश्नका यथावत्रूपसे उत्तर दें और वही बात कहें, जिसपर आपकी पूरी आस्था हो”

Transliteration

kasmiṁś cātmā nidhātavyas trivarga-vijayāya vai | saṁhṛṣṭā naiṣṭhikaṁ vākyaṁ yathāvad vaktum arhatha ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana said: “In what, above all, should the mind be firmly placed so that one may conquer the three aims of life? Be glad and resolute, and answer this question correctly—state that teaching in which you have complete and settled conviction.”

Word by Word

कस्मिन्in which (one)

आत्माthe mind/self

निधातव्यःshould be placed/fixed

त्रिवर्गविजयायfor the conquest of the three aims (dharma-artha-kama)

वैindeed/assuredly

संहृष्टाःdelighted/cheerful

नैष्ठिकम्firm/steadfast (from conviction)

वाक्यम्statement/answer

यथावत्properly/as it should be

वक्तुम्to speak

अर्हथyou are able/you ought

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

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 frames an ethical inquiry: to master the three worldly aims (dharma, artha, kāma), one must fix the mind upon a chosen foundation, and the respondents are urged to speak a correct teaching grounded in firm personal conviction (naiṣṭhikī niṣṭhā).

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana introduces a question being posed to a group of respondents: they are asked, with enthusiasm and seriousness, to declare what the mind should be anchored in to achieve mastery over the trivarga, and to answer in a properly reasoned and sincerely held way.