Shloka 4

Ānṛśaṃsya–Bhakti: Śukaḥ Śakreṇa Parīkṣitaḥ

Compassion and Devotion—The Parrot Tested by Indra

Devanagari script

इस प्रकार श्रीमह्याभारत अनुशासनपर्वके अन्तर्गत दानधर्मपर्वनें विशज्वामित्रका उपाख्यानविषयक चौथा अध्याय पूरा हुआ

Transliteration

tatra cāmiṣa-lubdhena lubdhakena mahāvane | avidūre mṛgān dṛṣṭvā bāṇaḥ pratisaṃhitaḥ ||

Translation

Dort, in jenem großen Wald, erblickte der Jäger, gierig nach Fleisch, unweit einige Hirsche; er richtete sein Ziel aus und schoss einen Pfeil auf sie ab.

Word by Word

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• आमिषलुब्धेन: by one greedy for flesh
• आमिषलुब्धेन: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आमिषलुब्ध
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• लुब्धकेन: by the hunter
• लुब्धकेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: लुब्धक
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• महावने: in the great forest
• महावने: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: महावन
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• अविदूरे: not far (nearby)
• अविदूरे: Adhikarana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अविदूर
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• मृगान्: deer
• मृगान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृग
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश्
• Form: क्त्वा (absolutive/gerund), Parasmaipada (usage-neutral)

• बाणः: the arrow
• बाणः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: बाण
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• प्रतिसमाहितः: well-aimed / fixed (on the target)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रतिसमाहित
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular, क्त (past passive participle)

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• lubdhaka (hunter)
• mṛgāḥ (deer)
• bāṇa (arrow)
• mahāvana (great forest)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse sets up an ethical contrast: actions driven by craving (meat-greed) lead to harm and invite dharmic evaluation. In the broader dāna-dharma context, it functions as the opening of an illustrative episode where desire, livelihood, and compassion are weighed against righteous conduct.

What is happening in the narrative?

A hunter in a large forest sees deer nearby and prepares/aims an arrow to shoot them. This moment initiates the episode’s chain of events by foregrounding the hunter’s motive (greed for flesh) and the impending act of violence.