Shloka 23
Āṇīmāṇḍavya–Upākhyāna
The Account of Āṇīmāṇḍavya and the Birth of Vidura
स कदाचिन्मृगं विद्ध्वा गड्जामनुसरन् नदीम् । भागीरथीमल्पजलां शान््लनुर्दृष्टवान् नृप:,एक समय किसी हिंसक पशुको बाणोंसे बीधकर राजा शान्तनु उसका पीछा करते हुए भागीरथी गंगाके तटपर आये। उन्होंने देखा कि गंगाजीमें बहुत थोड़ा जल रह गया है
sa kadācin mṛgaṁ viddhvā gadjām anusaran nadīm | bhāgīrathīm alpajalāṁ śāntanur dṛṣṭavān nṛpaḥ ||
Vaiśampāyana sprach: Einst, nachdem er ein wildes Tier mit einem Pfeil getroffen hatte, verfolgte König Śāntanu es am Fluss entlang. Als er die Bhāgīrathī (Gaṅgā) erreichte, sah er, dass das Wasser des Stromes sehr gering geworden war.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse juxtaposes royal hunting (violence and pursuit) with the sacred Gaṅgā appearing unnaturally low, suggesting that actions occur within a moral-cosmic order where hidden causes and dharmic implications may soon be revealed.
King Śāntanu wounds a wild animal and chases it along the riverbank until he reaches the Bhāgīrathī (Gaṅgā), where he notices the river has very little water.