Shloka 7

अध्याय ८२ — केशवप्रयाणे निमित्तदर्शनम्

Omens and Reception During Keśava’s Departure

Devanagari script

कौमुदे मासि रेवत्यां शरदन्ते हिमागमे । स्फीतसस्यसुखे काले कल्प: सत्त्ववतां वर:

Transliteration

kaumude māsi revatyāṃ śarad-ante himāgame | sphīta-sasya-sukhe kāle kalpaḥ sattvavatāṃ varaḥ ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana said: In the month of Kaumuda, under the asterism Revatī—at the close of autumn, when the cold season was setting in—there came a time of abundant crops and general ease, a season most excellent for the virtuous and steadfast.

Word by Word

कौमुदेin the Kaumuda (Kārtika) month

मासिin the month

रेवत्याम्when (the moon is) in Revatī (nakṣatra)

शरदन्तेat the end of autumn

हिमागमेat the coming of winter

स्फीतसस्यसुखेin the pleasant time of abundant crops

कालेin the time/season

कल्पःthe (proper) arrangement/ordinance; the rite/ceremony

सत्त्ववताम्of the virtuous/steadfast (people)

वरःexcellent; best

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Revatī (nakṣatra)

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 importance of kāla (right timing): when the world is orderly and prosperous—crops abundant and people at ease—dharmic persons are best positioned to act with steadiness and clarity. Ethical resolve is strengthened when society is not destabilized by scarcity.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana sets the scene by specifying the season and lunar asterism: the end of autumn as winter approaches, during a comfortable time of plentiful harvests. This temporal marker frames the ensuing events as occurring in an auspicious and stable period.