Shloka 23
Devanagari script
नूनमर्थवतां मध्ये तव वाक्यमनुत्तमम् । न भाति काले5भिहितं तेनासि हरिण: कृश:
Transliteration
nūnam arthavatāṁ madhye tava vākyam anuttamam | na bhāti kāle 'bhihitaṁ tenāsi hariṇaḥ kṛśaḥ ||
Translation
“Decerto, entre as palavras dos sábios, a tua afirmação é sem par. Contudo, dita em tempo inoportuno, não resplandece; por isso, ó cervo, tornaste-te mirrado.”
Word by Word
नूनम्surely, indeed
नूनम्:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootनूनम्
अर्थवताम्of the meaningful/wise (speakers)
अर्थवताम्:
TypeAdjective
Rootअर्थवत्
Formmasculine, genitive, plural
मध्येin the midst (of)
मध्ये:
Adhikarana
TypeNoun
Rootमध्य
Formneuter, locative, singular
तवof you/your
तव:
TypePronoun
Rootयुष्मद्
Formgenitive, singular
वाक्यम्speech, statement
वाक्यम्:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootवाक्य
Formneuter, nominative, singular
अनुत्तमम्unsurpassed, excellent
अनुत्तमम्:
TypeAdjective
Rootअनुत्तम
Formneuter, nominative, singular
नnot
न:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootन
भातिshines, appears (well)
भाति:
TypeVerb
Rootभा
Formpresent, 3rd, singular, parasmaipada
कालेat the (proper) time
काले:
Adhikarana
TypeNoun
Rootकाल
Formmasculine, locative, singular
अभिहितम्spoken, uttered
अभिहितम्:
TypeVerb
Rootअभि-धा
Formneuter, nominative, singular, क्त (past passive participle)
तेनtherefore; by that
तेन:
Karana
TypePronoun
Rootतद्
Formneuter, instrumental, singular
असिyou are
असि:
TypeVerb
Rootअस्
Formpresent, 2nd, singular
हरिणःa deer
हरिणः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootहरिण
Formmasculine, nominative, singular
कृशःthin, emaciated
कृशः:
TypeAdjective
Rootकृश
Formmasculine, nominative, singular
Speaker
ब्राह्मण उवाच
Characters & Entities
ब
ब्राह्मण (a Brahmin speaker)ह
हरिण (deer)Character Dynamics
Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)
Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)
Philosophical Teaching
Political Layer
Meter (Chandas)
Sandhi Notes
Educational Q&A
Even excellent counsel loses its force if delivered at the wrong time; ethical speech requires not only truth and meaning but also proper timing (kāla) so that it can benefit rather than harm.
A Brahmin addresses a deer, praising the deer’s words as profound yet criticizing their untimely utterance; the speaker links this lack of timely judgment to the deer’s present suffering and emaciation.