Shloka 16

Devanagari script

लोमश उवाच त्रिशतं वै सहस्नाणि योजनानां युधिष्ठिर । यत्र ध्वनिं शृणोष्येनं तृष्णीमास्स्व विशाम्पते,लोमशजीने कहा--राजा युधिष्ठिर! जहाँसे आती हुई इस ध्वनिको तुम सुन रहे हो वह स्थान यहाँसे तीन लाख योजन दूर है; अत: अब चुप रहो

Transliteration

Lomaśa uvāca: triśataṃ vai sahasrāṇi yojanānāṃ yudhiṣṭhira | yatra dhvaniṃ śṛṇoṣy enaṃ tṛṣṇīm āssva viśāmpate ||

Translation

Ломаша сказал: «О Юдхиштхира, место, откуда доносится этот звук, что ты слышишь, находится в трёхстах тысячах йоджан отсюда. Потому, о владыка людей, ныне храни молчание».

Word by Word

लोमशःLomaśa (the sage)

उवाचsaid

त्रिशतंthree hundred

वैindeed

सहस्राणिthousands

योजनानाम्of yojanas

युधिष्ठिरO Yudhiṣṭhira

यत्रwhere

ध्वनिम्sound

शृणोषिyou hear

एनम्this (sound)

तृष्णीम्silently

आस्be / remain

वैindeed

विशाम्पतेO lord of the people

Speaker

लोमश उवाच

Characters & Entities

Lomaśa

Yudhiṣṭhira

dhvani (sound)

yojana (distance measure)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse emphasizes restraint and disciplined attention: when confronted with something vast or extraordinary, one should quiet oneself, listen carefully, and follow wise guidance rather than react impulsively.

What is happening in the narrative?

During the forest journey, Yudhiṣṭhira hears a powerful sound. The sage Lomaśa explains that its source is unimaginably far away—three hundred thousand yojanas—and instructs the king to remain silent.