Shloka 8

Kṛṣṇa at Duryodhana’s House: Refusal of Hospitality and Departure to Vidura (कृष्णस्य धार्तराष्ट्रनिवेशनगमनम्)

Devanagari script

ऊषुर्महावने तात सिंहव्याप्रगजाकुले । बाला विहीना: पित्रा ते मया सततलालिता:

Transliteration

ūṣur mahāvane tāta siṁhavyāghragajākule | bālā vihīnāḥ pitrā te mayā satatalālitāḥ ||

Translation

Vaiśaṃpāyana sprach: „Mein Lieber, sie lebten in einem gewaltigen Wald, in dem Löwen, Tiger und Elefanten wimmelten. Diese Kinder, ihres Vaters beraubt, wurden von mir unablässig behütet und umsorgt.“

Word by Word

• ऊषुः: they dwelt/stayed
• ऊषुः: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: वस् (धातु)
• Form: Perfect (लिट्), 3rd, Plural, Parasmaipada

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

• तात: O dear (father/son)!
• Type: Noun
• Root: तात (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• सिंहव्याघ्रगजाकुले: in (a place) crowded with lions, tigers, and elephants
• सिंहव्याघ्रगजाकुले: Adhikarana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सिंह-व्याघ्र-गज-आकुल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• बालाः: children
• बालाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: बाल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• विहीनाः: deprived, bereft
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विहीन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• पित्रा: by (their) father
• पित्रा: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• ते: you (plural)
• ते: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: युष्मद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Nominative, Plural

• मया: by me
• मया: Karana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Instrumental, Singular

• सतत: always, continually
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सतत (प्रातिपदिक)

• लालिताः: cherished, fondled, brought up with affection
• Type: Adjective
• Root: लालित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• mahāvana (great forest)
• siṁha (lion)
• vyāghra (tiger)
• gaja (elephant)
• bālāḥ (children)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights dharmic responsibility: when children are bereft of a father, a guardian’s duty is steady protection and affectionate care, even amid danger and hardship.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana describes a period when the children lived in a perilous great forest filled with wild beasts, and he emphasizes that, despite being fatherless, they were continuously nurtured under his care.