Shloka 8

कालविभाग-निरूपणं तथा युद्धव्यवस्था

Time-Reckoning and Mobilization Counsel

Devanagari script

उत्तरं मार्गमाणानां मत्स्यानां च युयुत्सताम्‌ । यदि बीभत्सुरायातस्तदा कस्यापराध्नुम:

Transliteration

uttaraṁ mārgamāṇānāṁ matsyānāṁ ca yuyutsatām | yadi bībhatsur āyātas tadā kasyāparādhnumḥ ||

Translation

ไวศัมปายนะกล่าวว่า “เมื่อชาวมัตสยะกำลังออกตามหาอุตตระและเตรียมพร้อมจะรบ หากบีภัตสุ (อรชุน) มาถึงในเวลานั้น—แล้วจะโทษหรือกล่าวความผิดแก่ผู้ใดได้เล่า?”

Word by Word

• उत्तरम्: Uttara (name); also 'the northern/upper' (here: Uttara)
• उत्तरम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तर
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• मार्गमाणानाम्: of (those) seeking/searching
• मार्गमाणानाम्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: मार्ग (धातु: मार्ग्)
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural, शतृ (present active participle)

• मत्स्यानाम्: of the Matsyas
• मत्स्यानाम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: मत्स्य
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• युयुत्सताम्: of (those) wishing to fight
• युयुत्सताम्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: युध् (इच्छार्थे: युयुत्स्)
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural, शतृ (desiderative present active participle: 'wishing to fight')

• यदि: if
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि

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

• आयातः: has come/arrived
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-या (धातु: या)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular, क्त (past passive participle used actively)

• तदा: then
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा

• कस्य: of whom/whose
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: किम्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Singular

• अपराध्नुमः: do we offend/are we at fault (against)?
• Type: Verb
• Root: अपराध् (धातु: राध् with उपसर्ग अप-; verb-stem अपराध्)
• Form: Present, First, Plural, Parasmaipada

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Uttara
• Matsyas
• Bībhatsu (Arjuna)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights moral accountability in crisis: when a righteous protector like Arjuna (Bībhatsu) is present, blame and wrongdoing lose their footing—implying that dharmic strength and right leadership prevent disorder and unjust accusation.

What is happening in the narrative?

During the Virāṭa episode, the Matsyas are searching for Prince Uttara and readying for battle amid the conflict; the narrator notes that if Arjuna—disguised and now stepping in as Bībhatsu—has arrived, then there is no question of fault or failure, since decisive protection is at hand.