Shloka 4

Devanagari script

वय:स्थया तया राजन्‌ सह संवत्सरोषित: । अतिशड्ूका भवेत्‌ स्थाने तव लोकस्य वा विभो,राजन्‌! जब वह वयस्क हो चुकी थी तब मैं उसके साथ एक वर्षतक रह चुका हूँ। प्रभो! (ऐसी अवस्थामें यदि मैं उसके साथ विवाह करूँगा, तो) आपको या और किसी मनुष्यको हमारे चरित्रके विषयमें (अवश्य ही) संदेह होगा और वह युक्तिसंगत ही होगा

Transliteration

vayaḥsthayā tayā rājan saha saṁvatsaroṣitaḥ | atiśaṅkā bhavet sthāne tava lokasya vā vibho ||

Translation

Arjuna dijo: «Oh rey, después de que ella alcanzó la edad, he vivido con ella un año entero. Oh señor poderoso, si ahora la tomara por esposa, surgiría de modo natural la sospecha sobre nuestra conducta—en tu mente o ante los ojos del pueblo—y tal duda sería comprensible.»

Word by Word

• {'vayaḥsthayā': 'having reached maturity

• being of marriageable age', 'tayā': 'with her', 'rājan': 'O king (vocative)', 'saha': 'together with', 'saṁvatsara': 'a year', 'uṣitaḥ': 'dwelt, stayed, lived', 'atiśaṅkā': 'great suspicion, strong doubt', 'bhavet': 'would arise, would occur', 'sthāne': 'rightly, appropriately

• in the proper course', 'tava': 'of you, in your case', 'lokasya': 'of the people, of the world', 'vā': 'or', 'vibho': 'O mighty one, O lord'}

Speaker

अजुन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Arjuna
• Virata (king, implied by rājan/vibho)
• Uttara (implied by tayā in context)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even when one’s intentions are pure, dharma requires guarding public trust and avoiding actions that reasonably invite suspicion; personal conduct must be beyond reproach.

What is happening in the narrative?

After the Pandavas’ incognito year at Virata’s court, Arjuna explains to King Virata why marrying the princess would be improper: he has lived closely with her for a year, so such a marriage would provoke justified doubts about their relationship.