Shloka 10

Vyāsa’s Counsel to Yudhiṣṭhira: Pratismṛti-vidyā, Arjuna’s Aśtra-Quest, and the Move to Kāmyaka

Devanagari script

अत्र कृत्य॑ प्रपश्यामि प्राप्तकालमरिंदम । कृष्णद्वैपायनात्‌ तात गृहीतोपनिषन्मया,शत्रुदमन! अब इस समयके योग्य जो कर्तव्य मुझे उचित दिखायी देता है, उसे सुनो। तात! मैंने श्रीकृष्णद्वैपायन व्यासजीसे एक रहस्यमयी विद्या प्राप्त की है

Transliteration

atra kṛtyaṁ prapaśyāmi prāptakālam ariṁdama | kṛṣṇadvaipāyanāt tāta gṛhītopaniṣan mayā ||

Translation

Yudhiṣṭhira said: “Here I clearly perceive the duty that fits the present moment, O subduer of foes. Listen to it. Dear one, from Kṛṣṇa Dvaipāyana (Vyāsa) I have received a secret, inward teaching—an esoteric instruction to be held in confidence.”

Word by Word

• {'atra': 'here

• in this situation', 'kṛtyam': 'what ought to be done

• proper action', 'prapaśyāmi': 'I see clearly

• I discern', 'prāptakālam': 'timely

• suited to the present time', 'ariṁdama': 'subduer of enemies (vocative epithet)', 'kṛṣṇadvaipāyanāt': 'from Kṛṣṇa Dvaipāyana (Vyāsa) (ablative)', 'tāta': 'dear one

• affectionate address', 'gṛhīta': 'received

• taken up', 'upaniṣat': 'secret teaching

• confidential instruction', 'mayā': 'by me

Speaker

युधिछिर उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Yudhiṣṭhira
• Kṛṣṇa Dvaipāyana Vyāsa

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse emphasizes prāptakāla-dharma—discerning and performing the duty that is appropriate to the specific time and circumstance—guided by authoritative, confidential instruction received from a realized teacher (Vyāsa).

What is happening in the narrative?

Yudhiṣṭhira addresses a listener with the epithet ariṁdama, stating that he has identified the right course of action for the moment and that his decision is informed by a secret teaching he received from Vyāsa.