Shloka 13

Devanagari script

वैशम्पायन उवाच एवं ब्रुवति राजेन्द्रे वागुवाचाशरीरिणी । न शक्यो दुर्गमो गन्तुमितो वैश्रवणाश्रमात्‌,वैशम्पायनजी कहते हैं--महाराज युधिष्ठिरके ऐसा कहते ही आकाशवाणी बोल उठी --“कुबेरके इस आश्रमसे आगे जाना सम्भव नहीं है। यह मार्ग अत्यन्त दुर्गम है

Transliteration

vaiśampāyana uvāca | evaṃ bruvati rājendre vāg uvāca aśarīriṇī | na śakyo durgamo gantum ito vaiśravaṇāśramāt |

Translation

Vaiśampāyana said: As the lordly king (Yudhiṣṭhira) was speaking thus, a bodiless voice spoke: “From this hermitage of Vaiśravaṇa (Kubera), it is not possible to go further. The way ahead is exceedingly difficult.”

Word by Word

वैशम्पायनःVaiśampāyana

उवाचsaid

एवम्thus

ब्रुवतिwhile (he) was speaking / as (he) spoke

राजेन्द्रेin/when the king of kings (Yudhiṣṭhira)

वाक्a voice

उवाचspoke

अशरीरिणीbodiless (disembodied)

नnot

शक्यःpossible

दुर्गमःhard to traverse

गन्तुम्to go

इतःfrom here / hence

वैश्रवणाश्रमात्from Vaiśravaṇa's (Kubera's) hermitage

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Yudhiṣṭhira (implied by rājendra in context)

Aśarīriṇī vāk (disembodied voice)

Vaiśravaṇa (Kubera)

Vaiśravaṇāśrama (Kubera's hermitage)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse underscores dharmic restraint: even a righteous king must heed divine admonition and recognize limits—some paths are barred or perilous, and wisdom lies in accepting guidance rather than forcing passage.

What is happening in the narrative?

As Yudhiṣṭhira speaks, a disembodied voice intervenes near Kubera’s hermitage, warning that proceeding beyond that point is not feasible because the route ahead is extremely difficult.