Shloka 14

Devanagari script

अन्ववेक्ष्यैतदुभयं क्षेमं स्थाद्‌ यत्‌ कुलस्य न: । तद्‌ वै कर्तु पर: कालो मातरेष भवेत्‌ तव,“माँ! इन दोनों बातोंपर विचार करके जिस प्रकार हमारे कुलका कल्याण हो, वही करनेको तुम्हारे लिये यह उत्तम अवसर है

Transliteration

anvavekṣyaitad ubhayaṁ kṣemaṁ syād yat kulasya naḥ | tad vai kartuṁ paraḥ kālo mātereṣa bhavet tava ||

Translation

Dijo Vaiśampāyana: «Tras sopesar cuidadosamente ambas consideraciones, haz aquello por lo cual quede asegurado el bienestar de nuestro linaje. Pues para ti, oh Madre, éste es en verdad el momento más oportuno y decisivo para actuar.»

Word by Word

अन्ववेक्ष्यhaving considered/after examining

एतत्this

उभयम्both (things)

क्षेमम्welfare, well-being

स्यात्may be / should be

यत्that which

कुलस्यof the family/clan

नःof us/our

तत्that

वैindeed, surely

कर्तुम्to do

परःbest, excellent

कालःtime, occasion

मातरेषुamong the mothers / in the mothers

भवेत्may be / should be

तवyour (of you)

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Mother (mātā; addressed figure)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse emphasizes reflective judgment (anvavekṣya) and choosing the course that protects the welfare (kṣema) of one’s lineage (kula). Ethical action is framed as timely and responsibility-bound, especially when a decisive moment arrives.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana narrates a moment of counsel addressed to a mother-figure: she is urged to consider two alternatives and to act now in the way that best secures the family’s well-being, indicating an urgent, pivotal decision point in the story.