Shloka 16

Devanagari script

अन्त:पुरगतं वत्सं श्रुत्वा रामेण निर्ह्वतम्‌ । धर्षणारोषसंविग्ना: कार्तवीर्यसुता हता:,'होमधेनुके बछड़ेका अपहरण करके उसे राजाके अन्तःपुरमें रख दिया गया है” ऐसा सुनकर परशुरामजीने तिरस्कारजनक रोषसे भरे हुए कार्तवीर्य-पुत्रोंकी मार डाला

Transliteration

antaḥpuragataṁ vatsaṁ śrutvā rāmeṇa nirhṛtam | dharṣaṇāroṣasaṁvignāḥ kārtavīryasutā hatāḥ ||

Translation

Als sie hörten, dass das Kalb—von Rāma geraubt—in die inneren Gemächer des Palastes gebracht worden sei, wurden die Söhne Kārtavīryas, erschüttert und von beschämendem Zorn entflammt, erschlagen.

Word by Word

अन्तःपुरगतंgone into the inner palace; placed in the harem/inner apartments

वत्संcalf

श्रुत्वाhaving heard

रामेणby Rama (Parashurama)

निर्हृतम्carried off; taken away

धर्षणby insult/affront

रोषby anger

संविग्नाःagitated; distressed

कार्तवीर्यof Kartavirya

सुताःsons

हताःwere slain

Speaker

नाग उवाच

Characters & Entities

Rāma (Paraśurāma)

Kārtavīrya

sons of Kārtavīrya

antaḥpura (inner palace)

vatsa (calf)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how humiliation and uncontrolled wrath can rapidly escalate into lethal violence, underscoring the ethical danger of acting from roṣa (anger) rather than dharma-guided restraint.

What is happening in the narrative?

A calf is reported to have been taken and placed within the royal inner quarters; upon hearing this affront, the sons of Kārtavīrya become agitated with insulting anger, and they are killed by Rāma (Paraśurāma).