Shloka 18

अङ्गददूतवाक्यं लङ्काप्राकारभेदनं च

Angada’s Embassy and the Breach of Laṅkā’s Ramparts

Devanagari script

वैशम्पायन उवाच इत्युक्ता सिन्धुराजेन वाक्‍्यं हृदयकम्पनम्‌ | कृष्णा तस्मादपाक्रामद्‌ देशात्‌ सभ्रुकुटीमुखी,वैशम्पायनजी कहते हैं--जनमेजय! सिन्धुराज जयद्रथके मुखसे यह हृदय कँपा देनेवाली बात सुनकर ट्रुपदकुमारी कृष्णा उस स्थानसे दूर हट गयी। उसके मुखपर रोष छा गया और उसकी भौंहें तन गयीं

Transliteration

vaiśampāyana uvāca | ity uktā sindhurājena vākyaṃ hṛdayakampanam | kṛṣṇā tasmād apākrāmad deśāt sabhrukuṭīmukhī ||

Translation

قال فايشَمبايانا: لما سمعت كِرِشنا (دراوبدي) من ملك السِّند تلك الكلمات التي تُرجِف القلب، تنحّت عن ذلك الموضع. اشتدّ وجهها غضبًا وتقبّض حاجباها—دلالةً على سخطها من الإهانة وإدراكها للخطر الأخلاقي الكامن في كلامه.

Word by Word

वैशम्पायनःVaiśampāyana

उवाचsaid

इतिthus

उक्ताhaving been addressed / spoken to

सिन्धुराजेनby the king of Sindhu (Jayadratha)

वाक्यम्speech, words

हृदयकम्पनम्heart-trembling (terrifying)

कृष्णाKṛṣṇā (Draupadī)

तस्मात्from that

अपाक्रामत्withdrew, moved away

देशात्from the place

सभ्रुकुटीमुखीshe whose face had knitted brows (frowning)

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Sindhurāja (Jayadratha)

Kṛṣṇā (Draupadī)

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 an ethical boundary: speech that threatens or violates another’s dignity is adharma, and Draupadī’s immediate withdrawal and visible indignation model moral resistance—refusing complicity and signaling that the act is unacceptable.

What is happening in the narrative?

After Jayadratha (the Sindhu king) speaks words that deeply unsettle her, Draupadī steps away from the spot. Her expression—knitted brows and an anger-darkened face—shows she recognizes the gravity of his intent and reacts with firm displeasure.