Shloka 34

Kubera’s Fivefold Nīti and Protection of the Pāṇḍavas (वैश्रवणोपदेशः)

Devanagari script

उपर्युपरि शैलस्य गुहा: परमदुर्गमा: । सुदुर्गमांस्ते सुबहूनू सुखेनैवाभिचक्रमु:

Transliteration

uparyupari śailasya guhāḥ paramadurgamāḥ | sudurgamāṃs te subahūnū sukhenāivābhicakramuḥ ||

Translation

ヴァイシャンパーヤナは語った。山のはるか高みには、到達することがきわめて困難な洞窟が数多くあった。だが彼らは、そのような険しい道筋を幾つも易々と踏破し、ためらうことなく前へ進んだ。

Word by Word

• upari: above
• upari: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: upari

• upari: above (again); higher and higher
• upari: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: upari

• śailasya: of the mountain
• śailasya: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: śaila
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• guhāḥ: caves
• guhāḥ: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: guhā
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Plural

• parama-durgamāḥ: extremely difficult to access
• parama-durgamāḥ: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: parama-durgama
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Plural

• su-durgamān: very difficult (places/paths)
• su-durgamān: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: su-durgama
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• te: they
• te: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: tad
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• su-bahūn: very many
• su-bahūn: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: su-bahu
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• sukhena: with ease
• sukhena: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: sukha
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• eva: indeed/just
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva

• abhi-cakramuḥ: they traversed/went over
• Type: Verb
• Root: abhi-√kram
• Form: Perfect (Liṭ), 3rd, Plural, Parasmaipada

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• mountain (śaila)
• caves (guhāḥ)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights steadfastness: even when the path is inherently difficult (durgama), disciplined effort and unity of purpose can make arduous obstacles feel surmountable.

What is happening in the narrative?

The narrator describes travelers moving across a mountain region where caves lie high above and are hard to reach; despite the danger and difficulty, they pass through many such places with apparent ease.