Mahabharata · 1.223.1–2
॥
Devanāgarī
जरितारिर् उवाच
पुरतः कृच्छ्रकालस्य धीमाञ् जागर्ति पूरुषः ॥
स कृच्छ्रकालं संप्राप्य व्यथां नैवैति कर्हि चित् ॥
यस् तु कृच्छ्रम् असंप्राप्तं विचेता नावबुध्यते ॥
स कृच्छ्रकाले व्यथितो न प्रजानाति किं चन ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
jaritārir uvāca
purataḥ kṛcchrakālasya dhīmāñ jāgarti pūruṣaḥ ||
sa kṛcchrakālaṃ saṃprāpya vyathāṃ naivaiti karhi cit ||
yas tu kṛcchram asaṃprāptaṃ vicetā nāvabudhyate ||
sa kṛcchrakāle vyathito na prajānāti kiṃ cana ||
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
पुरतः कृच्छ्रकालस्य धीमान् जागर्ति पूरुषःpurataḥ kṛcchrakālasya dhīmān jāgarti pūruṣaḥbefore the hour of danger comes, the wise man keeps watch;
सः कृच्छ्रकालं संप्राप्य व्यथां न एव एति कर्हि चित्saḥ kṛcchrakālaṃ saṃprāpya vyathāṃ na eva eti karhi cithe, when the hour of danger arrives, never falls into confusion;
यः तु कृच्छ्रम् असंप्राप्तं विचेताः न अवबुध्यतेyaḥ tu kṛcchram asaṃprāptaṃ vicetāḥ na avabudhyatebut he who, unwise, does not notice danger not yet come,
सः कृच्छ्रकाले व्यथितः न प्रजानाति किं चनsaḥ kṛcchrakāle vyathitaḥ na prajānāti kiṃ canahe, in the hour of danger, bewildered, knows nothing";
जरितारिर्jaritāriroriginal form "jaritārir", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
धीमाञ्dhīmāñoriginal form "dhīmāñ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
सsaoriginal form "sa", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
नैवैतिnaivaitioriginal form "naivaiti", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
यस्yasoriginal form "yas", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
विचेताvicetāoriginal form "vicetā", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
नावबुध्यतेnāvabudhyateoriginal form "nāvabudhyate", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
सsaoriginal form "sa", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
व्यथितोvyathitooriginal form "vyathito", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
Translation
Jaritari said: "Before the hour of danger comes, the wise man keeps watch; he, when the hour of danger arrives, never falls into confusion; but he who, unwise, fails to notice danger not yet come, he, in the hour of danger, bewildered, knows nothing."
Version
15515e9cd982 · published Jul 12, 2026, 6:20:36 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
Here the foresight of the wise is praised. It is significant that the wise man keeps watch before disaster comes and so is not lost in it: foresight guards against confusion. Vigilance and sobriety are a shield against sudden calamity. Thus scripture reveals the wisdom of foresight -- and this lesson is spoken by children facing death.