Shloka 63

Jabali Bound by the Monkey — Jabali Bound by the Monkey: Nandayanti’s Ordeal and the Yamuna–Hiranyavati Sacred Corridor

Devanagari script

तं दृष्ट्वा नृपतिश्रेष्ठं तापसो वाक्यमब्रवीत् श्रूयतां नरसार्दूल विज्ञप्तिर्मम पार्थिव

Transliteration

taṃ dṛṣṭvā nṛpatiśreṣṭhaṃ tāpaso vākyamabravīt śrūyatāṃ narasārdūla vijñaptirmama pārthiva

Translation

Als er den besten der Könige erblickte, sprach der Asket: „Höre, o Tiger unter den Menschen, o König — dies ist meine Bitte.“

Word by Word

• तम्: him
• तम्: कर्म (Karma/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: क्रियाविशेषण (Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund), ‘having seen’

• नृपतिश्रेष्ठम्: the best of kings
• नृपतिश्रेष्ठम्: कर्म (Karma/Object; apposition to तम्)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृपति + श्रेष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: नृपतीनाम् श्रेष्ठः

• तापसः: the ascetic
• तापसः: कर्ता (Karta/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तापस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• वाक्यम्: speech/words
• वाक्यम्: कर्म (Karma/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाक्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अब्रवीत्: said
• अब्रवीत्: क्रिया (Kriyā/Finite verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/Past), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• श्रूयताम्: please listen / let (it) be heard
• श्रूयताम्: क्रिया (Kriyā/Imperative)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive sense): ‘let it be heard’

• नरसार्दूल: O tiger among men
• नरसार्दूल: सम्बोधन (Sambodhana/Vocative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर + सार्दूल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-प्रथमा (Vocative), एकवचन; कर्मधारय: नरः सार्दूल इव

• विज्ञप्तिः: a request/petition
• विज्ञप्तिः: कर्ता (Karta/Subject; of implied ‘is’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विज्ञप्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• मम: of me / my
• मम: सम्बन्ध (Sambandha/Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• पार्थिव: O king
• पार्थिव: सम्बोधन (Sambodhana/Vocative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार्थिव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-प्रथमा (Vocative), एकवचन

Speakers

• A tāpasa (ascetic) addressing King Ikṣvāku (nṛpatiśreṣṭha).

Key Themes

• Ascetic–king dialogue
• Petitioning as a formal genre (vijñapti)
• Royal responsibility to hear dharmic requests

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

{ "primaryRasa": "vira", "secondaryRasa": "shanta", "rasaIntensity": 0, "emotionalArcPosition": "", "moodDescriptors": [] }

FAQs

Why does an ascetic address the king with such strong honorifics?

Purāṇic courtly speech uses honorific compounds (nṛpatiśreṣṭha, narasārdūla) to establish the king’s capacity and duty to protect dharma. The praise is not mere flattery; it frames the king as the proper agent to resolve the petitioner’s concern.

What is the technical sense of “vijñapti” here?

Vijñapti is a formal, articulated request—often involving grievance, appeal for protection, or a matter requiring royal adjudication. It signals that the following speech will present a case rather than casual conversation.

Does this verse indicate a shift from narration to dialogue?

Yes. The narrative voice introduces direct speech: the ascetic begins a petition that will likely explain the conflict or injustice motivating the approach to Ikṣvāku.