Shloka 40

Bhīmasena’s Discourse on Kāla, Resolve, and the Feasibility of Ajñātavāsa (भीमसेनस्य कालोपदेशः)

Devanagari script

युधिष्ठिरस्तु धर्मात्मा तद्‌ ब्रह्म मनसा यत: । धारयामास मेधावी काले काले सदाभ्यसन्‌,धर्मात्मा मेधावी संयतचित्त युधिष्ठिरने उस वेदोक्त मन्त्रको ममससे धारण किया और समय-समयपर सदा उसका अभ्यास करने लगे

Transliteration

vaiśampāyana uvāca | yudhiṣṭhiras tu dharmātmā tad brahma manasā yataḥ | dhārayāmāsa medhāvī kāle kāle sadābhyasan ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana said: Yudhiṣṭhira, steadfast in dharma, having restrained and directed his mind, held that sacred Vedic formula within himself. Wise and self-controlled, he kept practicing it again and again at the proper times, making disciplined repetition a part of his ethical life.

Word by Word

• युधिष्ठिरः: Yudhishthira
• युधिष्ठिरः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: युधिष्ठिर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• तु: but/indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु

• धर्मात्मा: righteous-souled
• धर्मात्मा: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धर्मात्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• ब्रह्म: sacred formula/holy utterance (brahman)
• ब्रह्म: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• मनसा: with the mind
• मनसा: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• यतः: restrained/controlled
• यतः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यत (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• धारयामास: held/retained (kept in mind)
• Type: Verb
• Root: धृ (धातु)
• Form: Periphrastic perfect (लिट्), Third, Singular

• मेधावी: intelligent/wise
• मेधावी: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मेधाविन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• काले: at a time/season
• काले: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• काले: at (each) time
• काले: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• सदा: always
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा

• अभ्यसन्: practised/repeated
• Type: Verb
• Root: अभि+अस् (धातु) / अभ्यस् (धातु)
• Form: Imperfect (लङ्), Third, Singular

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Yudhiṣṭhira
• brahma (Vedic mantra/holy formula)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Righteousness is sustained by inner discipline: a dharmic person restrains the mind, retains sacred instruction, and practices it regularly. Ethical steadiness is shown not only in ideals but in repeated, timely cultivation (abhyāsa).

What is happening in the narrative?

The narrator describes Yudhiṣṭhira as mentally restrained and wise, keeping a Vedic sacred formula (brahma/mantra) in mind and practicing it repeatedly at appropriate times, indicating his continued spiritual-ethical regimen during the events of the Vana Parva.