Shloka 16

Śamī-vṛkṣe śastra-nidhāna and Entry into Virāṭa’s Capital (शमीवृक्षे शस्त्रनिधानम्)

Devanagari script

समाधायायुध॑ शम्यां गच्छामो नगरं प्रति । एवमत्र यथायोगं विहरिष्याम भारत,यह वृक्ष रास्तेसे बहुत दूर जंगलमें है। इसके आसपास हिंसक जीव और सर्प आदि रहते हैं। विशेषतः यह दुर्गम श्मशानभूमिके निकट है; (अत: यहाँतक किसीके आने या वृक्षपर चढ़नेकी सम्भावना नहीं है;) इसलिये इसी शमीवृक्षपर हम अपने अस्त्र-शस्त्र रखकर नगरमें चलें। भारत! ऐसा करके हम यहाँ जैसा सुयोग होगा, उसके अनुसार विचरण करेंगे

Transliteration

arjuna uvāca | samādhāyāyudhaṁ śamyāṁ gacchāmo nagaraṁ prati | evam atra yathāyogaṁ vihariṣyāma bhārata ||

Translation

อรชุนกล่าวว่า “เมื่อจัดวางอาวุธไว้บนต้นชมีให้มั่นคงแล้ว เราจงมุ่งสู่เมืองเถิด โอ้ภารตะ ด้วยวิธีนี้เราจักประพฤติตนที่นี่ให้เหมาะแก่กาลและเหตุการณ์”

Word by Word

समाधायhaving placed/kept (after depositing)

आयुधम्weapon(s)/arms

शम्याम्on/in the śamī tree

गच्छामःwe go / let us go

नगरम्to the city

प्रतिtowards

एवम्thus/in this way

अत्रhere

यथाas/according to

योगम्fitness/propriety/opportunity

विहरिष्यामःwe shall roam/dwell (conduct ourselves)

भारतO Bhārata

Speaker

अजुन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Arjuna

Bhārata (addressed person, traditionally Yudhiṣṭhira)

śamī tree

weapons (āyudha)

city (nagara)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights prudent, dharma-aligned discretion: safeguarding one’s means of protection while adapting conduct to circumstances (yathāyogam) rather than acting rashly.

What is happening in the narrative?

During the incognito period in Virāṭa’s realm, Arjuna proposes that they securely stash their weapons on a śamī tree and then enter the city, living and acting in whatever way best fits the situation.