Shloka 9
Virāṭanagara-nivāsa-nirṇaya
Decision to Reside in Virāṭa’s City
स साधु कौन्तेय इतो वासमर्जुन रोचय । संवत्सरमिमं यत्र वसेमाविदिता: परै:,“कुन्तीनन्दन अर्जुन! तुम अपनी रुचिके अनुसार कोई उत्तम निवासस्थान चुनो, जहाँ यहाँसे चलकर हम एक वर्षतक इस प्रकार रहें कि शत्रुओंको हमारा पता न चल सके'
sa sādhu kaunteya ito vāsam arjuna rocaya | saṃvatsaram imaṃ yatra vase maviditāḥ paraiḥ ||
Vaiśampāyana berkata: “Baiklah, wahai putera Kuntī—Arjuna—pilihlah, menurut pertimbanganmu, suatu tempat tinggal yang sesuai. Marilah kita pergi ke sana dan mengharungi setahun ini dengan cara sehingga musuh tidak mengetahui tentang kita.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Prudence in the service of dharma: when circumstances demand, one should adopt careful strategy—such as choosing a secure refuge and maintaining secrecy—so that a righteous goal can be preserved without needless confrontation.
At the beginning of the Virāṭa episode, the speaker urges Arjuna to select an appropriate place for the Pāṇḍavas to reside for the final year of their exile, ensuring they remain undiscovered by their enemies during the required incognito period.