Shloka 13

Devanagari script

यदि काडुश्षन्ति ते राज्यं पितृपैतामहं पुन: । यथाप्रतिज्ञं काल॑ तं चरन्तु वनमाश्रिता:,“यदि पाण्डव अपने बाप-दादोंका राज्य लेना चाहते हैं तो पूर्व-प्रतिज्ञाके अनुसार उतने समयतक पुनः वनमें निवास करें

Transliteration

yadi kāṅkṣanti te rājyaṃ pitṛpaitāmahaṃ punaḥ | yathā-pratijñaṃ kālaṃ taṃ carantu vanam āśritāḥ ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana said: “If they (the Pāṇḍavas) desire to obtain again the ancestral kingdom inherited from their father and forefathers, then—true to the pledge previously made—let them dwell in the forest for that very period of time.”

Word by Word

यदिif

काङ्क्षन्तिdesire, wish for

तेthey (those people)

राज्यम्kingdom, sovereignty

पितृपैतामहम्ancestral (of father and grandfather)

पुनःagain, once more

यथाas, according to

प्रतिज्ञम्promise, vow

कालम्time (period)

तम्that (same)

चरन्तुlet them practice/live (go about)

वनम्forest

आश्रिताःhaving resorted to, dwelling in

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Pāṇḍavas

rājya (ancestral kingdom)

vana (forest)

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 underscores dharma as fidelity to one’s pledged word: rightful claims to power must be pursued without violating agreed conditions, and ethical legitimacy is tied to honoring prior commitments.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Udyoga Parva’s negotiation context, a condition is articulated: if the Pāṇḍavas seek to reclaim their ancestral kingdom, they should first complete the promised term of forest-dwelling, in accordance with the earlier agreement.