Shloka 12

द्रौपदी-स्वयंवर-प्रारम्भः

Commencement of Draupadī’s Svayaṃvara

Devanagari script

कशाप्रहाराभिहतस्तत: स मुनिसत्तम: | त॑ शशाप नृपश्रेष्ठ॑ वासिष्ठ: क्रोधमूर्च्छित:,कोड़ेकी चोट खाकर मुनिश्रष्ठ शक्तिने क्रोधसे मूर्च्छिंत हो उन उत्तम नरेशको शाप दे दिया

Transliteration

kaśāprahārābhihatas tataḥ sa munisattamaḥ | taṁ śaśāpa nṛpaśreṣṭha vāsiṣṭhaḥ krodhamūrcchitaḥ ||

Translation

Vom Peitschenhieb getroffen, sprach der erhabenste der Weisen—Vasiṣṭha—von jähem Zorn überwältigt, einen Fluch über den vortrefflichen König aus.

Word by Word

कशा-प्रहार-अभिहतःstruck by the blow of a whip

ततःthen; thereafter

सःhe

मुनि-सत्तमःthe best of sages

तंhim

शशापcursed

नृप-श्रेष्ठम्the best of kings

वासिष्ठःVāsiṣṭha (descendant of Vasiṣṭha)

क्रोध-मूर्च्छितःovercome/swooning with anger

Speaker

गन्धर्व उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vasiṣṭha

nṛpaśreṣṭha (the king addressed/mentioned)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse underscores the ethical danger of anger (krodha): when dignity is violated through violence, even a great sage may be driven to retaliate in a way that creates far-reaching harm. It implicitly commends restraint and warns that coercion and humiliation invite disproportionate consequences.

What is happening in the narrative?

A foremost sage, Vasiṣṭha, is struck with a whip. In the immediate aftermath, overwhelmed by anger, he utters a curse against an eminent king (nṛpaśreṣṭha), marking a turning point where an act of aggression triggers a grave verbal retribution.