Shloka 16

Devanagari script

जरितोवाच इदमाखोर्बिलं भूमौ वृक्षस्थास्य समीपत: । तदाविशध्वं त्वरिता वल्लेरत्र न वो भयम्‌,जरिता बोली--मेरे बच्चो! इस वृक्षके पास भूमिमें यह चूहेका बिल है। तुमलोग जल्दी-से-जल्दी इसके भीतर घुस जाओ। इसके भीतर तुम्हें आगसे भय नहीं है

Transliteration

jaritovāca idam ākhur-bilaṁ bhūmau vṛkṣasthāsya samīpataḥ | tad āviśadhvaṁ tvaritā vally-atra na vo bhayam ||

Translation

Jarītā sagte: „Meine Kinder, hier am Boden nahe diesem Baum ist ein Mausloch. Kriecht schnell hinein. In dieser Höhlung, von der Ranke geschützt, braucht ihr das Feuer nicht zu fürchten.“

Word by Word

जरिताJarita (the bird, speaker)

उवाचsaid

इदम्this

आखोःof a mouse/rat

बिलम्hole, burrow

भूमौon/in the ground

वृक्षस्थstanding/being on the tree

अस्यof this (tree)

समीपतःnear, in the vicinity

तत्that (burrow)

आविशध्वम्enter (you all)

त्वरिताःhastened, quickly

वल्लेःof the creeper/vine

अत्रhere

नnot

वःof you / to you (your)

भयम्fear

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Jarītā

children (her offspring)

tree (vṛkṣa)

mouse/rat burrow (ākhu-bila)

creeper/vine (vallī)

fire (agni, implied by context)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

In crisis, dharma expresses itself as protective compassion and practical wisdom: one should act swiftly, use available refuge, and prioritize the safety of dependents without panic.

What is happening in the narrative?

Jarītā urgently directs her young ones to take shelter in a nearby mouse-burrow at the base of the tree, assuring them that within that covered hollow they will be safe from the spreading fire.