Shloka 2

Virāṭanagara-nivāsa-nirṇaya

Decision to Reside in Virāṭa’s City

Devanagari script

जनमेजय उवाच कथं विराटनगरे मम पूर्वपितामहा: । अज्ञातवासमुषिता दुर्योधनभयार्दिता:

Transliteration

janamejaya uvāca kathaṁ virāṭanagare mama pūrvapitāmahāḥ | ajñātavāsam uṣitā duryodhanabhayārditāḥ ||

Translation

ジャナメージャヤは言った。「ドゥルヨーダナへの恐れに苦しめられた我が祖先パーンダヴァたちは、ヴィラाटの都で身を隠して過ごす期間を、いかにして送ったのか。」

Word by Word

• जनमेजयः: Janamejaya
• जनमेजयः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: जनमेजय
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• उवाच: said
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: Perfect, Third, Singular

• कथम्: how
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम्

• विराट-नगरे: in the city of Virata
• विराट-नगरे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: विराटनगर
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• मम: of me / my
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: Genitive, Singular

• पूर्व-पितामहाः: forefathers (earlier grandfathers/ancestors)
• पूर्व-पितामहाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पूर्वपितामह
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• अज्ञात-वासम्: the period of living incognito
• अज्ञात-वासम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: अज्ञातवास
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• उषिताः: having dwelt / having stayed
• Type: Verb
• Root: वस्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• दुर्योधन-भय-आर्दिताः: afflicted by fear of Duryodhana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुर्योधनभयार्दित
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

Speaker

जनमेजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Janamejaya
• Pāṇḍavas
• Duryodhana
• Virāṭa (king implied by Virāṭanagara)
• Virāṭanagara

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse foregrounds a dharmic tension: righteous persons may be compelled to adopt concealment and strategic restraint under unjust threat, yet must preserve integrity and purpose while enduring fear and hardship.

What is happening in the narrative?

Janamejaya asks the sage to explain how the Pāṇḍavas managed their final year of exile—living unrecognized in Virāṭa’s city—while under the danger of being discovered by Duryodhana.