Ashvamedhika Parva Adhyaya 85 Shloka 4 - Mahabharata | Chinese | Vedapath

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Shloka 4

शकुनेः पुत्रेण सह आश्वमेधाश्वविषयः संघर्षः — Arjuna’s restrained engagement with Śakuni’s son during the horse-escort

Devanagari script

एतस्मिन्नेव काले तु द्वादशीं माघमासिकीम्‌ । इष्टं गृहीत्वा नक्षत्र धर्मराजो युधिष्ठिर:

Transliteration

etasmīn eva kāle tu dvādaśīṁ māghamāsikīm | iṣṭaṁ gṛhītvā nakṣatraṁ dharmarājo yudhiṣṭhiraḥ, kurunandana |

Translation

毗湿摩波耶那说道：就在那时，正值摩伽月白半月之第十二日（Dvādaśī）。坚战王——奉法而治、为俱卢族之荣——得逢普沙星宿的吉会，遂察知其时当行，准备依正法而举事，择取为天象所净化的良辰，以承当眼前之责。

Word by Word

एतस्मिन्in this

एवindeed/just

कालेtime

तुbut/and

द्वादशीम्the twelfth lunar day (Dvādaśī)

माघमासिकीम्belonging to the month of Māgha

इष्टम्the desired/auspicious (thing); (here) chosen/appointed (time)

गृहीत्वाhaving taken/selected

नक्षत्रम्constellation; lunar mansion

धर्मराजःDharma-king (Yudhiṣṭhira)

युधिष्ठिरःYudhiṣṭhira

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Yudhiṣṭhira (Dharmarāja)

Kuru lineage (Kurunandana as address)

Māgha (month)

Dvādaśī (tithi)

Nakṣatra (asterism; implied auspicious one, traditionally Puṣya in the prose context)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights dharmic kingship expressed through attentiveness to right timing (kāla) and auspicious conditions (nakṣatra). Ethical action is not merely about intent but also about performing duties in a manner aligned with sacred order and communal norms.

What is happening in the narrative?

The narrator Vaiśampāyana marks the time: the bright-fortnight Dvādaśī in Māgha, with a favorable nakṣatra. Yudhiṣṭhira recognizes this auspicious moment as he prepares for the next step in the unfolding events of the Ashvamedhika Parva.