Shloka 31

Devanagari script

पृथक्छास्त्रविद: सर्वे सर्वे मन्त्रविशारदा: । संधिविग्रहकालज्ञा मन्त्राय समुपाविशन्‌,किसी कारणवश उस स्थानसे एक कोस दूर जाकर वे नरश्रेष्ठ ठहर गये और आगामी दूसरे दिनसे अज्ञातवास आरम्भ करनेके लिये उद्यत हो परस्पर सलाह करनेके निमित्त आस-पास बैठ गये। वे सभी पृथक्‌-पृथक्‌ शास्त्रोंके ज्ञाता, मन्त्रणा करनेमें कुशल तथा संधि-विग्रह आदिके अवसरको जाननेवाले थे

Transliteration

vaiśampāyana uvāca | pṛthakchāstravidaḥ sarve sarve mantraviśāradāḥ | saṃdhivigrahakālajñā mantrāya samupāviśan |

Translation

毗湿摩波耶那说道：他们人人各自通晓诸般《沙斯特罗》，人人善于谋议，亦人人明了结盟与决裂的适时之机。凭此明断，他们同坐议策——既已退至更为安全之处，并准备自翌日起开始隐居流亡。

Word by Word

पृथक्separately, individually

शास्त्रविदःknowers of treatises (śāstras)

सर्वेall

मन्त्रविशारदाःskilled in counsel/strategy

सन्धिविग्रहकालज्ञाःknowing the proper time for alliance and hostility

मन्त्रायfor counsel, for consultation

समुपाविशन्they sat down together

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights prudent leadership: true counsel requires learning, strategic competence, and a sense of timing—knowing when to seek alliance (saṃdhi) and when to accept conflict (vigraha). Ethical governance is shown as disciplined deliberation rather than impulsive action.

What is happening in the narrative?

The group withdraws to a distance and sits together to consult. They are preparing for the next phase—beginning their period of living incognito—and therefore deliberate carefully, drawing on their knowledge of śāstra and political strategy.