Shloka 6

Bhīmasena’s Counsel on Grief, Inner Conflict, and the Duty of Kingship (भीमसेन-उपदेशः)

Devanagari script

अगतिक्न गतिश्वैव लोकस्य विदिता तव । आयत्यां च तदात्वे च न ते<स्त्यविदितं प्रभो

Transliteration

agatiṁ ca gatiṁ caiva lokasya viditā tava | āyatyāṁ ca tadātve ca na te 'sty aviditaṁ prabho ||

Translation

毗湿摩波耶那说道：“主上啊，世间的沉沦与正道，你都了然于胸。无论将来之事，还是当下之事，没有一样能瞒过你。”

Word by Word

• {'agatiṁ': 'non-course

• a state with no proper way forward', 'gatiṁ': 'course

• proper outcome', 'ca ... caiva': 'both ... and indeed', 'lokasya': 'of the world

• of people/society', 'viditā': 'known

• understood', 'tava': 'to you

• your', 'āyatyām': 'in the future

• in what is to come', 'tadātve': 'in the present moment

• in the immediate now', 'na': 'not', 'te': 'to you

• for you', 'asti': 'is

• exists', 'aviditam': 'unknown

• not understood', 'prabho': 'O lord

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• prabhu (addressed lord)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

A ruler (or moral agent) should not succumb to confusion or despair when endowed with discernment; true wisdom recognizes both the right course (gati) and the disastrous course (agati), and acts with clarity about present duties and future consequences.

What is happening in the narrative?

Within the Shanti Parva’s instruction-oriented setting, the speaker underscores the addressee’s comprehensive understanding—of worldly outcomes and of time (present and future)—as a way to steady and admonish him toward resolute, dharmic judgment.