Shloka 3

शोकाकुल-युधिष्ठिरं प्रति कुन्त्याः कालोचितोपदेशः | Kuntī’s Timely Counsel to the Grief-Stricken Yudhiṣṭhira

Devanagari script

कुन्ती शोकपरीताजड्ी दुःखोपहतचेतना । अब्रवीन्मधुराभाषा काले वचनमर्थवत्‌,उनका मन बहुत दुखी हो गया। वे शोकके मारे व्याकुल हो सर्पकी भाँति लंबी साँस खींचने लगे। उनकी आँखोंसे आँसू बहने लगा। वीर युधिष्ठिरकी ऐसी अवस्था देख कुन्तीके सारे अंगोंमें शोक व्याप्त हो गया। वे दुःखसे अचेत-सी हो गयीं और मधुर वाणीमें समयके अनुसार अर्थभरी बात कहने लगीं--

Transliteration

kuntī śokaparītā jaḍī duḥkhopahatacetanā | abravīn madhurābhāṣā kāle vacanam arthavat ||

Translation

ವೈಶಂಪಾಯನನು ಹೇಳಿದನು—ಕುಂತಿ ಶೋಕದಿಂದ ಆವರಿತಳಾಗಿ, ಜಡಳಾದಂತೆಯೇ, ದುಃಖದಿಂದ ಹೊಡೆತಪಟ್ಟು, ಮಧುರ ವಾಣಿಯಲ್ಲಿ ಕಾಲೋಚಿತವಾದ ಅರ್ಥಪೂರ್ಣ ವಚನವನ್ನು ನುಡಿದಳು.

Word by Word

कुन्तीKunti

शोकपरीताovercome by grief

जडीstupefied, inert

दुःखोपहतचेतनाwhose mind was struck down by sorrow

अब्रवीत्said, spoke

मधुराभाषाsweet-speaking (having sweet speech)

कालेat the proper time

वचनम्speech, words

अर्थवत्meaningful, full of sense

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Kuntī

Yudhiṣṭhira

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even when grief overwhelms the mind, one should speak and act with kāla (timeliness) and artha (purpose). The verse highlights disciplined, meaningful counsel as a dharmic response to crisis rather than uncontrolled lamentation.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana describes Kuntī’s intense sorrow on seeing Yudhiṣṭhira’s distressed condition. Though benumbed by grief, she begins to speak gently and appropriately, preparing to offer significant guidance suited to the moment.