Shloka 20
Adhyāya 22: Śālva’s Weapon-Shower, Dāruka’s Wounding, and the Māyā-Report of Vasudeva’s Father
ततः पर्वतभारार्त्तान् मन्दप्राणविचेष्टितान् । हयान् संदृश्य मां सूत: प्राह तात्कालिकं वच:,तब प्रस्तरखण्डोंके भारसे पीड़ित तथा धीरे-धीरे प्राणसाध्य चेष्टा करनेवाले घोड़ोंको देखकर सारथिने मुझसे यह समयोचित बात कही--
tataḥ parvatabhārārttān mandaprāṇaviceṣṭitān | hayān saṃdṛśya māṃ sūtaḥ prāha tāt-kālikaṃ vacaḥ ||
Bấy giờ, thấy những con ngựa—bị các tảng đá nặng đè ép và thở dốc yếu ớt—người đánh xe liền thưa với ta những lời hợp với cơn nguy cấp ấy.
वायुदेव उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights timely, situation-appropriate speech and action (tāt-kālika vacaḥ) grounded in compassion—especially when witnessing suffering and imminent danger to living beings.
Vāyudeva narrates that a charioteer, seeing the horses weakened and distressed under the weight of rocky boulders, speaks to him with urgent, fitting counsel for that moment.