Shloka 17

एकचक्रानिवासे ब्राह्मणगृहदुःखश्रवणम् | Hearing the Brāhmaṇa Household’s Distress at Ekacakrā

Devanagari script

यदा तु कार्यमस्माकं भवद्धिरुपपत्स्यते । तदा करिष्यथास्माकं प्रियाणि च हितानि च

Transliteration

yadā tu kāryam asmākaṃ bhavadbhir upapatsyate | tadā kariṣyathāsmākaṃ priyāṇi ca hitāni ca ||

Translation

“Mas quando surgir alguma necessidade nossa e ela puder ser devidamente atendida por vós, então fareis por nós aquilo que nos é caro (priya) e aquilo que é verdadeiramente benéfico (hita).”

Word by Word

यदाwhen

तुbut/indeed

कार्यम्a task/need

अस्माकम्of us/our

भवद्भिःby you (all)

उपपत्स्यतेwill occur/come to pass; will be possible

तदाthen

करिष्यथyou (all) will do

अस्माकम्for us / of us

प्रियाणिpleasing things

चand

हितानिbeneficial things

चand

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana (speaker)

asmākam (we/us—unspecified group in this verse)

bhavadbhiḥ (you—honorific addressees, unspecified in this verse)

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse distinguishes between what is merely pleasing (priya) and what is genuinely beneficial (hita), urging that help, when requested at the proper time, should aim at both—affectionate regard and true welfare—rather than short-term gratification alone.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana reports a promise or expectation of future assistance: when a situation arises in which the speakers’ objective can be accomplished through the addressees, the addressees are to act on their behalf, providing support that is both welcome and advantageous.