Shloka 18

Devanagari script

तस्मिन्‌ गते महाभागे लपितां प्रति भारत

Transliteration

tasmin gate mahābhāge lapitāṁ prati bhārata

Translation

噢，婆罗多啊，当那位卓绝之人已离去，转向拉毗多（Lapitā）之时，叙事也随之转入与她相关的篇章。

Word by Word

• तस्मिन्: in that (time/place)
• तस्मिन्: Adhikarana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Locative, Singular

• गते: when (he) had gone / after (he) went
• गते: Adhikarana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गम्
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• महाभागे: in/when the fortunate (one)
• महाभागे: Adhikarana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महाभाग
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• लपिताम्: Lapītā (a woman named Lapītā)
• लपिताम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: लपिता
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• प्रति: towards / to
• प्रति: Karma
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रति

• भारत: O Bhārata
• Type: Noun
• Root: भारत
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• वैशम्पायन (Vaiśampāyana)
• Bhārata (address to Janamejaya)
• Lapitā

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse primarily functions as a narrative hinge: it models how an itihāsa narrator marks the close of one episode (someone’s departure) and ethically maintains continuity and clarity by explicitly turning the listener’s attention to the next subject (Lapitā).

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana indicates that after the departure of an illustrious figure, the story now proceeds ‘toward’ or ‘concerning’ Lapitā—signaling a shift of focus to her episode or lineage context.