Shloka 18

Virāṭanagara-nivāsa-nirṇaya

Decision to Reside in Virāṭa’s City

Devanagari script

विराटनगरे तात संवत्सरमिमं वयम्‌ । कुर्वन्तस्तस्य कर्माणि विहरिष्याम भारत,भाई अर्जुन! इसलिये इस वर्ष हमलोग राजा विराटके ही नगरमें रहें और उनका कार्यसाधन करते हुए उनके यहाँ विचरण करें

Transliteration

virāṭanagare tāta saṁvatsaram imaṁ vayam | kurvantās tasya karmāṇi viharīṣyāma bhārata ||

Translation

Yudhiṣṭhira said: “Dear one, for this full year let us remain in King Virāṭa’s city. Serving in his employ and carrying out his tasks, we shall live there in concealment, O Bhārata.”

Word by Word

• विराट-नगरे: in the city of Virata
• विराट-नगरे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: विराट-नगर
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• तात: O dear (son)/O dear one
• Type: Noun
• Root: तात
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• संवत्सरम्: a year
• संवत्सरम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: संवत्सर
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• इमम्: this
• Type: Adjective
• Root: इदम्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• वयम्: we
• वयम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: Nominative, Plural

• कुर्वन्तः: doing, performing
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural, शतृ (present active participle)

• तस्य: of him/that (king)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Singular

• कर्माणि: tasks, duties
• कर्माणि: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्मन्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Plural

• विहरिष्याम: we shall roam/dwell (freely)
• Type: Verb
• Root: विहृ
• Form: Simple Future (लृट्), First, Plural, Parasmaipada

• भारत: O Bharata (descendant of Bharata)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भारत
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

Speaker

युधिछिर उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Yudhiṣṭhira
• Virāṭa
• Virāṭa-nagara (city of Virāṭa)
• Arjuna (implied by the Hindi gloss)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights prudent dharma in adversity: choosing lawful, nonviolent means—humble service and restraint—to fulfill a difficult obligation (living incognito for a year) without provoking unnecessary conflict.

What is happening in the narrative?

At the start of the Virāṭa Parva, Yudhiṣṭhira proposes that the Pāṇḍavas spend the required final year of exile in disguise within King Virāṭa’s city, taking up roles as servants or workers and moving about there without being recognized.