Shloka 2

Devanagari script

न शशाक यदा बाला प्रत्याख्यातुं तमोनुदम्‌ । भीता शापात्‌ ततो राजन्‌ दध्यौ दीर्घमथान्तरम्‌,राजन्‌! जब वह बाला अन्धकारनाशक भगवान्‌ सूर्यदेवको टाल न सकी, तब शापसे भयभीत हो दीर्घकालतक मन-ही-मन कुछ सोचने लगी

Transliteration

na śaśāka yadā bālā pratyākhyātuṃ tamonudam | bhītā śāpāt tato rājan dadhyau dīrgham athāntaram ||

Translation

قال فايشَمبايانا: لما عجزت الفتاة الغضّة عن ردِّ مُبدِّد الظلمات، إله الشمس، أيها الملك، ارتاعت من اللعنة، فأطالت التفكّر في باطنها، تُقلّب الأمر في ذهنها زمنًا طويلًا. ويُبرز هذا المقطع توتّرًا أخلاقيًا بين الخوف من العقاب الإلهي وبين قدرة المرء على الاختيار أمام إقبالٍ إلهيٍّ جارف.

Word by Word

नnot

शशाकwas able

यदाwhen

बालाthe girl/maiden

प्रत्याख्यातुम्to refuse/repel

तमोनुदम्the dispeller of darkness (Sun)

भीताfrightened

शापात्from/through fear of a curse

ततःthen/thereupon

राजन्O king

दध्यौshe pondered

दीर्घम्for a long time/long

अथthen/and now

अन्तरम्an inner thought/plan; inwardly

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśaṃpāyana

Sūrya (Sun-god)

rājan (the king addressed, i.e., Janamejaya)

bālā (the maiden)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights ethical pressure created by fear of divine punishment: when confronted by overwhelming authority, a person may hesitate and deliberate rather than act freely. It invites reflection on dharma as inner discernment (manasika-vicāra) amid coercive circumstances.

What is happening in the narrative?

A young maiden is unable to refuse the Sun-god (called ‘tamonuda’, dispeller of darkness). Afraid that refusal might bring a curse, she remains inwardly conflicted and thinks for a long time about what to do next.