Shloka 14

Aśvamedha-saṃbhāra: Return of the Horse, Auspicious Timing, and Construction of the Yajña Enclosure

Devanagari script

इदमाह महाराज पार्थवाक्यं स्मरन्‌ नर: । वाच्यो युधिष्िर: कृष्ण काले वाक्यमिदं मम

Transliteration

vaiśampāyana uvāca | idam āha mahārāja pārthavākyaṃ smaran naraḥ | vācyaḥ yudhiṣṭhiraḥ kṛṣṇa kāle vākyam idaṃ mama ||

Translation

ବୈଶମ୍ପାୟନ କହିଲେ—ମହାରାଜ! ପାର୍ଥଙ୍କ ବାକ୍ୟ ସ୍ମରଣ କରି ଜଣେ ପୁରୁଷ ମୋ ପାଖକୁ ଆସି ଏପରି କହିଲା—‘ହେ କୃଷ୍ଣ! ଯଥାସମୟରେ ମୋର ଏହି କଥା ମହାରାଜ ଯୁଧିଷ୍ଠିରଙ୍କୁ ନିଶ୍ଚୟ ଜଣାଇଦିଅ।’

Word by Word

• इदम्: this (statement)
• इदम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसक, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• आह: said
• Type: Verb
• Root: अह् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्शभूत/परफेक्ट), प्रथम, एकवचन

• महाराज: O great king
• Type: Noun
• Root: महाराज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन

• पार्थ: of Partha (Arjuna)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (समास-पूर्वपद-सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• वाक्यम्: speech/words
• वाक्यम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाक्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसक, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• स्मरन्: remembering
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्मृ (धातु)
• Form: शतृ (वर्तमान कृदन्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• नरः: the man
• नरः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• वाच्यः: is to be told/addressed
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: यत् (भाव्य/कर्तव्य, passive gerundive), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• युधिष्ठिरः: Yudhishthira
• युधिष्ठिरः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: युधिष्ठिर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• कृष्ण: O Krishna
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृष्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन

• काले: at the time
• काले: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• वाक्यम्: statement/words
• वाक्यम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाक्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसक, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसक, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• मम: of me / my
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: त्रिलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Yudhiṣṭhira
• Kṛṣṇa
• Pārtha (Arjuna)
• a messenger (naraḥ)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights ethical communication: a message should be conveyed faithfully and at the right time (kāla). It also underscores accountability—Kṛṣṇa is entrusted to deliver words to a dharmic king, implying that counsel and reports must be accurate, timely, and responsibly transmitted.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana narrates that a man approached him, recalling Arjuna’s words, and requested that Kṛṣṇa later relay the man’s statement to King Yudhiṣṭhira. The scene sets up a formal transmission of information or counsel within the royal-dharmic context of the Ashvamedhika Parva.