Shloka 7

Setubandha-Niścaya (Decision for the Causeway) and Vānara-Senā Saṃniveśa — Bridge Strategy and Alliance Consolidation

Devanagari script

प्राचीं राजा दक्षिणां भीमसेनो जय: प्रतीचीं यमजावुदीचीम्‌ । मन्ये तु तेषां रथसत्तमानां कालो$भित: प्राप्त इहोपयातुम्‌,स्वयं राजा युधिष्ठिर पूर्व दिशामें गये हैं, भीमसेन दक्षिण दिशामें, अर्जुन पश्चिम दिशामें और नकुल-सहदेव उत्तर दिशामें गये हैं। मैं समझती हूँ, अब उन महारथियोंके सब ओरसे यहाँ पहुँचनेका समय हो गया है

Transliteration

vaiśampāyana uvāca |

prācīṃ rājā dakṣiṇāṃ bhīmaseno jayaḥ pratīcīṃ yamajāv udīcīm |

manye tu teṣāṃ rathasattamānāṃ kālo 'bhitaḥ prāpta iho payātum ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana nói: “Nhà vua đã đi về hướng đông; Bhīmasena về hướng nam; Arjuna, bậc chinh phục, về hướng tây; còn hai anh em song sinh (Nakula và Sahadeva) về hướng bắc. Ta nghĩ giờ đã đến lúc những bậc chiến xa tối thượng ấy trở về đây từ bốn phương.”

Word by Word

• {'prācīm': 'to the east (eastern direction)', 'rājā': 'the king (here, Yudhiṣṭhira)', 'dakṣiṇām': 'to the south (southern direction)', 'bhīmasenaḥ': 'Bhīmasena (Bhīma)', 'jayaḥ': 'the victorious one

• conqueror (epithet, here of Arjuna)', 'pratīcīm': 'to the west (western direction)', 'yamajau': 'the twin brothers (Nakula and Sahadeva)', 'udīcīm': 'to the north (northern direction)', 'manye': 'I think

• I consider', 'tu': 'indeed

• but (emphatic/contrastive particle)', 'teṣām': 'of them', 'rathasattamānām': 'of the best among chariot-warriors', 'kālaḥ': 'time

• the proper moment', 'abhitaḥ': 'from all sides

• on every side', 'prāptaḥ': 'has arrived

• has come', 'iha': 'here', 'upayātum': 'to come near

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Yudhiṣṭhira
• Bhīmasena (Bhīma)
• Arjuna
• Nakula
• Sahadeva
• the four directions (east, south, west, north)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights disciplined leadership and timely coordination: each brother undertakes a distinct responsibility in a different direction, and success depends on recognizing the right moment (kāla) for reunion and collective action.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana reports that Yudhiṣṭhira, Bhīma, Arjuna, and the twins have gone in the four directions for their respective tasks, and he observes that the time has come for these foremost warriors to return and assemble from all sides.