Shloka 3

Kubera’s Fivefold Nīti and Protection of the Pāṇḍavas (वैश्रवणोपदेशः)

Devanagari script

समाक्षतस्रो5भिगता: शिवेन चरतां वने । कृतोद्देश: स बीभत्सु: पजचमीमभित: समाम्‌,“हमलोगोंको कुशलपूर्वक वनमें विचरते हुए चार वर्ष हो गये। अर्जुनने यह संकेत किया था कि मैं पाँचवें वर्षमें लौट आऊँगा

Transliteration

samākṣatasro 'bhigatāḥ śivena caratāṃ vane | kṛtoddeśaḥ sa bībhatsuḥ pañcamīm abhitaḥ samām |

Translation

“พวกเราพำนักและจาริกอยู่ในป่าโดยสวัสดีมาแล้วสี่ปี บีภัตสุ (อรชุน) ได้กำหนดนัดหมายและสัญญาณไว้ชัดเจนว่า จะกลับมาราวปีที่ห้า”

Word by Word

• समाः: years
• समाः: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: सम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Plural

• चत्वारः: four
• चत्वारः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चतुर् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• अभिगताः: have been completed/attained
• अभिगताः: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: अभि-गम् (धातु)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural, क्त (past passive participle)

• शिवेन: with auspiciousness; safely
• शिवेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• चरताम्: of (us) wandering
• चरताम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Verb
• Root: चर् (धातु)
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural, शतृ (present active participle, gen. pl.)

• वने: in the forest
• वने: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: वन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• कृतः: made; fixed
• कृतः: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular, क्त (past passive participle)

• उद्देशः: indication; signal; appointment
• उद्देशः: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: उद्देश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• सः: he/that
• सः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• बीभत्सुः: Arjuna (epithet: Bībhatsu)
• बीभत्सुः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: बीभत्सु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• पञ्चमीम्: the fifth
• पञ्चमीम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पञ्चम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• अभितः: around; about; after (time)
• अभितः: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अभितः (अव्यय)

• समाम्: year
• समाम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: समा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Arjuna (Bībhatsu)
• forest (vana)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse underscores steadiness in keeping agreed terms during hardship: even in exile, one should maintain clarity of intention (uddeśa) and fidelity to a promised time, while valuing auspicious conduct and safety (śiva) rather than reckless action.

What is happening in the narrative?

The narrator marks the passage of time in the Pandavas’ forest life: four years have safely elapsed, and Arjuna—called Bībhatsu—had earlier set a sign/appointment indicating his return would be around the fifth year.