Shloka 58

धृतराष्ट्र–संजय संवादः

Dhṛtarāṣṭra and Sañjaya on Arjuna’s Indraloka report and the political consequences

Devanagari script

अज्ञातवासो वस्तव्यो भवद्धिर्भूतलेडनघ । वर्षे त्रयोदशे वीर तत्र त्वं क्षपयिष्यसि,“महाबाहो! तुमने अपने धैर्य (इन्द्रियसंयम)-के द्वारा ऋषियोंको भी पराजित कर दिया है। मानद! उर्वशीने जो तुम्हें शाप दिया है, वह तुम्हारे अभीष्ट अर्थका साधक होगा। अनघ! तुम्हें भूतलपर तेरहवें वर्षमें अज्ञातवास करना है। वीर! उर्वशीके दिये हुए शापको तुम उसी वर्षमें पूर्ण कर दोगे”

Transliteration

ajñātavāso vastavyo bhavadbhir bhūtale 'n-agha | varṣe trayodaśe vīra tatra tvaṃ kṣapayiṣyasi ||

Translation

ヴァイシャンパーヤナは言った。「咎なき者よ、汝らは地上で身を隠して住まねばならぬ。第十三年、勇者よ、汝はそこで一年を無名のまま過ごし、ウルヴァシーの呪いの効力を完結させるであろう。まことに、不幸と見えたその呪いこそ、汝の意図を成し遂げる手段となる。」

Word by Word

अज्ञातवासःliving incognito

वस्तव्यःto be dwelt (must be lived)

भवद्भिःby you (honorific)

भूतलेon the earth

अनघO sinless one

वर्षेin the year

त्रयोदशेthirteenth

वीरO hero

तत्रthere

त्वम्you

क्षपयिष्यसिyou will complete/bring to an end

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśaṃpāyana

Urvaśī

the curse (śāpa)

the thirteenth year (trayodaśa-varṣa)

earth/ground (bhūtala)

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Adversity can become an instrument of dharma and success: what appears as a curse may, under self-control and right timing, serve one’s rightful aim. The verse frames enforced anonymity not as mere punishment but as a providential means to fulfil a destined requirement.

What is happening in the narrative?

The narrator Vaiśaṃpāyana states that the hero must live incognito on earth during the thirteenth year, and that in that very year the consequence of Urvaśī’s curse will be completed—aligning the curse with the necessity of remaining unrecognized.