Shloka 20

अर्जुनस्य इन्द्रकीलगमनम् तथा शक्रसाक्षात्कारः

Arjuna’s journey to Indrakīla and encounter with Indra

Devanagari script

हंसकारण्डवोदगीता: सारसाभिरुतास्तथा । पुंस्कोकिलरुताश्चैव क्रौज्चबर्हिणनादिता:,हंस, कारण्डव तथा सारस आदि पक्षी वहाँ मीठी बोली बोलते थे। तटवर्ती वृक्षोंपर कोयल मनोहर शब्द बोल रही थी। क्रौंचेके कलरव और मयूरोंकी केकाध्वनि भी वहाँ सब ओर गूँजती रहती थी

Transliteration

haṃsakāraṇḍavodgītāḥ sārasābhirutāstathā | puṃskokilarutāścaiva krauñcabārhiṇanāditāḥ ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana sprach: „Dort sangen Schwäne und Kāraṇḍava-Enten süß; auch die Kraniche riefen. Männliche Kuckucke ließen ihre melodischen Töne strömen, und die Rufe der Krauñca-Vögel zusammen mit den hallenden Lauten der Pfauen erklangen ringsum.“ Der Vers zeichnet eine heitere, dem Dharma gemäße Stimmung—die Harmonie der Natur rahmt den Wald als Ort der Rast und Besinnung inmitten der Mühen des Epos.

Word by Word

हंसकारण्डवोद्गीताःsung/warbled by swans and karandavas (ducks)

सारसाभिःby cranes (sārasas)

रुताःsounded/cried

तथाand likewise

पुंस्कोकिलरुताःhaving the calls of male cuckoos

चand

एवindeed/also

क्रौञ्चबर्हिणनादिताःresounding with the cries of krauñcas and peacocks

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

haṃsa (swans)

kāraṇḍava (ducks)

sārasa (cranes)

kokila (cuckoos)

krauñca (birds)

barhiṇ (peacocks)

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?

The verse does not state a direct moral injunction; its teaching is implicit: harmony in nature and a tranquil environment support steadiness of mind, reflection, and dharmic endurance—especially significant in the forest-exile context of the epic.

What is happening in the narrative?

The narrator Vaiśampāyana describes a forest scene filled with the calls of swans, ducks, cranes, cuckoos, krauñca-birds, and peacocks, establishing the setting’s serenity and beauty.