Shloka 5

Devanagari script

त्रासयंश्नायमायाति लेलिहानो महीरुहान्‌ । अजातफ फक्षाश्न सुता न शक्ता: सरणे मम,सबको त्रास देती और वृक्षोंको चाटती हुई यह आगकी लपट इधर ही चली आ रही है। हाय! मेरे बच्चे बिना पंखके हैं, मेरे साथ उड़ नहीं सकते

Transliteration

trāsayañ śīghram āyāti lelihāno mahīruhān | ajātapakṣāḥ śiśavaḥ sutā na śaktāḥ śaraṇe mama ||

Translation

Vaiśaṃpāyana sagte: „Schrecken verbreitend stürzt das Feuer auf uns zu und leckt an den Bäumen. Weh mir — meine Kleinen haben noch keine Flügel; meine Küken, meine Kinder, können nicht mit mir fortfliegen, um Zuflucht zu finden.“

Word by Word

त्रासयन्frightening (causing fear)

अयम्this

आयातिcomes, approaches

लेलिहानःlicking, lapping (as flames)

महीरुहान्trees (earth-growing ones)

अजातपक्षाःthose whose wings are not yet grown (wingless)

सुताःsons/children

नnot

शक्ताःable, capable

शरणेin refuge, in protection

ममof me, my

Speaker

वैशमग्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśaṃpāyana

fire/flames (agni-jvālā)

trees (mahīruha)

chicks/young birds (śiśu, ajātapakṣa)

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the ethical urgency of protecting those who cannot protect themselves—especially the young and helpless—when danger is imminent. It evokes compassion and responsibility as central to dharma.

What is happening in the narrative?

A sudden fire is rapidly advancing, its flames ‘licking’ the trees. A parent bird (implied by the imagery) laments that the chicks are still wingless and cannot escape to safety, intensifying the pathos of the scene.