Shloka 36

अग्निभय-प्रसङ्गे मन्दपालस्य शोकः

Mandapāla’s Lament amid the Threat of Fire

Devanagari script

प्रतिगृह्ा समाविश्य तद्‌ वनं भरतर्षभ । मेघस्तनितनिर्घोष: सर्वभूतान्यकम्पयत्‌,भरतश्रेष्ठ! उस वनको चारों ओरसे अपनी लपटोंमें लपेटकर और उसके भीतरी भागमें भी व्याप्त होकर अग्निदेव मेघकी गर्जनाके समान गम्भीर घोष करते हुए समस्त प्राणियोंको कैपाने लगे

Transliteration

pratigṛhya samāviśya tad vanaṁ bharatarṣabha | meghastanita-nirghoṣaḥ sarvabhūtāny akampayat ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana said: Having seized it and pervaded that forest on every side—and even penetrating its inner reaches—the fire blazed forth with a deep roar like thunder from rain-clouds, shaking and terrifying all living beings.

Word by Word

प्रतिगृह्यhaving seized/covered (all around)

समाविश्यhaving entered/pervaded

तत्that

वनम्forest

भरतर्षभO bull among the Bharatas

मेघस्तनितनिर्घोषःhaving a roar like thunder of clouds

सर्वभूतानिall beings

अकम्पयत्made (them) tremble/shake

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Bharatarṣabha (addressed listener, typically Janamejaya)

vana (forest)

agni (fire, implied by context)

megha (cloud)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the ethical weight of destructive actions: when a force like fire spreads unchecked, it frightens and harms all beings indiscriminately. It implicitly urges restraint, foresight, and accountability so that power is not exercised without regard for collateral suffering.

What is happening in the narrative?

A fire has taken hold of the forest, surrounding it and spreading through its interior. It roars like thunder from clouds, and the resulting terror causes all creatures to tremble.