Shloka 3

कृप-अर्जुन रथयुद्धम्

Kṛpa–Arjuna Chariot Engagement

Devanagari script

तेषां कालातिरेकेण ज्योतिषां च व्यतिक्रमात्‌ । पञज्चमे पज्चमे वर्षे द्वौ मासावुपजायत:,इन पक्ष-मास आदिके समयके बढ़ने-घटनेसे और ग्रह-नक्षत्रोंकी गतिके व्यतिक्रमसे हर पाँचवें वर्षमें दो महीने अधिमासके बढ़ जाते हैं

Transliteration

teṣāṃ kālātirekeṇa jyotiṣāṃ ca vyatikramāt | pañcame pañcame varṣe dvau māsāv upajāyataḥ ||

Translation

Bhīṣma dit : Parce qu’il se produit, dans le calcul du temps, un excès ou un défaut, et parce que les mouvements des luminaires ne coïncident pas parfaitement, tous les cinq ans naissent deux mois supplémentaires (intercalaires), rétablissant l’ordre du calendrier.

Word by Word

तेषाम्of those (months/periods)

कालातिरेकेणby excess of time

ज्योतिषाम्of the luminaries (astral bodies)

चand

व्यतिक्रमात्from/owing to deviation (irregularity)

पञ्चमेin the fifth

वर्षेyear

द्वौtwo

मासौmonths

उपजायतःarise/come into being (as an addition)

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhīṣma

jyotiṣ (luminaries: sun/moon/planets)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Bhīṣma explains that timekeeping must account for astronomical discrepancy: when lunar and solar measures fall out of step, intercalary months arise to realign the calendar, preserving orderly observance of duties tied to proper timing.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Bhīṣma’s discourse, he describes how variations in calendrical time and the non-uniform alignment of celestial motions lead to the periodic addition of extra months—an explanation of how traditional reckoning maintains consistency for rites and social order.