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Shloka 22

बक-राक्षसस्य आह्वानम् तथा वृक्षयुद्धम्

Summons of Baka and the Tree-Weapon Engagement

अत: कष्टतरं कि नु द्रष्टव्यं हि भविष्यति । यत्‌ पश्यामि महीसुप्तान्‌ 20% सुमन्दभाक्‌,“हाय! मैं कितना भाग्यहीन हूँ कि आज अपने भाइयोंको पृथ्वीपर सोया देख रहा हूँ। इससे महान्‌ कष्टकी बात देखनेमें क्या आयेगी

ataḥ kaṣṭataraṃ ki nu draṣṭavyaṃ hi bhaviṣyati | yat paśyāmi mahīsuptān sumandabhāk ||

Vaiśampāyana sprach: „Welcher Anblick könnte schmerzlicher sein als dieser? Denn ich sehe meine Brüder schlafend auf dem nackten Boden—ach, ich bin von höchst elendem Geschick.“ Die Zeile trägt den moralischen Schock über die Umkehr der gebührenden Würde: Diejenigen, die geschützt und geehrt werden sollten, sind in Not geraten, und so erhebt sich die Klage über das Schicksal und die Zerbrechlichkeit weltlicher Sicherheit.

अतःtherefore; from this
अतः:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootअतः
कष्टतरम्more painful (thing)
कष्टतरम्:
Karma
TypeAdjective
Rootकष्टतर
FormNeuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular
किम्what?
किम्:
Karma
TypePronoun
Rootकिम्
FormNeuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular
नुindeed; then (emphatic particle)
नु:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootनु
द्रष्टव्यम्to be seen; fit/necessary to be seen
द्रष्टव्यम्:
Karma
TypeVerb
Rootदृश्
FormGerundive (तव्यत्), Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular, Passive necessity
हिindeed; for
हि:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootहि
भविष्यतिwill be; will happen
भविष्यति:
TypeVerb
Rootभू
FormSimple Future (लृट्), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada
यत्which; that (relative)
यत्:
Karma
TypePronoun
Rootयद्
FormNeuter, Accusative, Singular
पश्यामिI see
पश्यामि:
TypeVerb
Rootपश्
FormPresent (लट्), 1st, Singular, Parasmaipada
महीon the earth; on the ground
मही:
Adhikarana
TypeNoun
Rootमही
FormFeminine, Locative, Singular
सुप्तान्sleeping; lying asleep
सुप्तान्:
Karma
TypeAdjective
Rootसुप्त
FormPast passive participle (क्त), Masculine, Accusative, Plural
सुमन्दभाक्one of very poor fortune; very unfortunate
सुमन्दभाक्:
Karta
TypeAdjective
Rootसुमन्दभाज्
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular

वैशम्पायन उवाच

V
Vaiśampāyana
B
brothers (implicit)
E
earth/ground (mahī)

Educational Q&A

The verse highlights the ethical pain caused when those bound by kinship and rightful dignity are brought to humiliation and hardship; it underscores compassion, the instability of fortune, and the moral urgency to protect one’s own from suffering.

The speaker laments that he is witnessing his brothers sleeping on the bare earth, and he rhetorically asks what could be more distressing than such a sight—framing the moment as a peak of misfortune and sorrow.