Shloka 13

आपद्धर्मे कोशबलन्यायः | Treasury, Force, and Crisis-Ethics for the King

Devanagari script

तस्मिंस्तु कथयत्येव राजा राजीवलोचन: । उपायाज्जवनैरश्वे: सबल: सावरोधन:,उनके कथा कहते समय ही कमलके समान नेत्रोंवाले एक नरेश वेगशाली घोड़ोंद्वारा अपनी सेना और अन्तःपुरके साथ वहाँ आ पहुँचे

Transliteration

tasmiṁstu kathayaty eva rājā rājīvalocanaḥ | upāyāj javanair aśvaiḥ sabalaḥ sāvarodhanaḥ ||

Translation

Bhīṣma berkata: Ketika dia masih menyampaikan kisah itu, seorang raja bermata bak teratai tiba di sana dengan pantas, ditarik oleh kuda-kuda yang laju, disertai seluruh bala tentera serta rombongan istana dalam (antaḥpura).

Word by Word

तस्मिन्in that (place/time)

तुbut/indeed

कथयतिtells/relates

एवjust/indeed

राजाthe king

राजीव-लोचनःlotus-eyed

उपायात्arrived/came near

जवनैःwith swift (ones)

अश्वैःwith horses

सबलःwith (his) army/forces

स-अवरोधनःtogether with the inner apartments/retinue (harem)

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhishma

a lotus-eyed king (unnamed)

swift horses

army (bala)

avarodhana (inner apartments/royal household)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse primarily sets narrative context rather than stating a direct maxim: it highlights how events can swiftly intervene even amid discourse, and it frames royal power as inseparable from responsibility—symbolized by the king arriving not alone but with army and household, implying public and private duties moving together.

What is happening in the narrative?

As a story is being told, an unnamed king described as 'lotus-eyed' arrives quickly at the scene, drawn by swift horses, bringing along his military force and the inner royal retinue (avarodhana).