Shloka 6

Droṇācārya’s Assessment of the Pāṇḍavas: Nīti, Kāla, and Intelligence (विराटपर्व, अध्याय २६)

Devanagari script

सर्वे कालस्य वेत्तार: कृच्छरूपधरा: स्थिता: । प्रविशेयुर्जितक्रोधास्तावदेव पुनर्वनम्‌

Transliteration

sarve kālasya vettāraḥ kṛcchrarūpadharāḥ sthitāḥ | praviśeyur jitakrodhās tāvad eva punar vanam ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana dit : «Tous connaissent la limite immuable du temps. Ils doivent donc se tenir cachés, ayant revêtu un déguisement difficile à reconnaître. Aussi devez-vous vous hâter de les découvrir, afin que—maîtrisant leur colère—ils retournent à la forêt pour le temps qui reste, à savoir douze années. Alors seulement mon royaume demeurera longtemps en sûreté, sans inquiétude et sans épines (c’est-à-dire sans trouble ni menace).»

Word by Word

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• कालस्य: of time
• कालस्य: Sambandha
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• वेत्तारः: knowers
• वेत्तारः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेतृ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• कृच्छ्र-रूप-धराः: wearing difficult/disguised forms
• कृच्छ्र-रूप-धराः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृच्छ्ररूपधर
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• स्थिताः: standing/remaining
• स्थिताः: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural, Past passive participle (kta)

• प्रविशेयुः: they might enter
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-विश्
• Form: Optative (Vidhi-lin), Third, Plural, Parasmaipada

• जित-क्रोधाः: having conquered anger
• जित-क्रोधाः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जितक्रोध
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• तावत्: so long; for that much time
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तावत्

• एव: indeed; just
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

• पुनः: again
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः

• वनम्: forest
• वनम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: वन
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• the Pāṇḍavas (implied by context: those in disguise/exile)
• forest (vana)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights disciplined self-restraint and strategic patience: those who know the lawful term of time endure hardship in disguise and keep anger under control, while rulers seek stability by preventing premature conflict.

What is happening in the narrative?

The speaker reasons that the exiled heroes, aware of the exact time-limit, are likely hiding nearby in an unrecognizable guise; therefore the listeners are urged to search quickly so that the heroes will be forced to return to the forest for the remaining term, ensuring the kingdom’s continued security.