Shloka 27

Śakuntalā’s Satya-Discourse and the Recognition of Bharata (शकुन्तला–सत्योपदेशः; भरतप्रतिग्रहः)

Devanagari script

व्यायामक्लान्तह्ृदया: पतन्ति सम विचेतस: । क्षुत्पिपासापरीताश्र श्रान्ताश्न॒ पतिता भुवि,असीम पराक्रमवाले राजा गदा घुमानेकी कलामें अत्यन्त प्रवीण थे। अतः वे तोमर, तलवार, गदा तथा मुसलोंकी मारसे स्वेच्छापूर्वक विचरनेवाले जंगली हाथियोंका वध करते हुए वहाँ सब ओर विचरने लगे। अदभुत पराक्रमी नरेश और उनके युद्ध-प्रेमी सैनिकोंने उस विशाल वनका कोना-कोना छान डाला। अतः सिंह और बाघ उस वनको छोड़कर भाग गये। पशुओंके कितने ही झुंड, जिनके यूथपति मारे गये थे, व्यग्र होकर भागे जा रहे थे और कितने ही यूथ इधर-उधर आर्तनाद करते थे। वे प्याससे पीड़ित हो सूखी नदियोंमें जाकर जब जल नहीं पाते, तब निराशासे अत्यन्त खिन्न हो दौड़नेके परिश्रमसे क्लान्तचित्त होनेके कारण मूर्च्छित होकर गिर पड़ते थे। भूख, प्यास और थकावटसे चूर-चूर हो बहुत-से पशु धरतीपर गिर पड़े

Transliteration

vyāyāma-klānta-hṛdayāḥ patanti sama-vicetasaḥ | kṣut-pipāsā-parītāś ca śrāntāś ca patitā bhuvi ||

Translation

Vaiśaṃpāyana said: Worn out at heart by relentless exertion, their senses dulled and unsteady, the creatures collapse. Beset by hunger and thirst, and exhausted, they fall upon the earth—an image of how unchecked violence and disturbance of the wild drives living beings into helpless suffering.

Word by Word

व्यायामक्लान्तहृदयाःthose whose hearts are wearied by exertion

पतन्तिfall

सम्completely / together

विचेतसःunconscious, senseless

क्षुत्पिपासापरीताःovercome by hunger and thirst

श्रान्ताःexhausted

चand

पतिताःfallen

भुविon the ground

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśaṃpāyana

earth/ground (bhuvi)

animals/creatures (implicit)

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 foregrounds the vulnerability of living beings: when driven beyond limits by fear and exertion, hunger and thirst overwhelm them and they collapse. In ethical terms, it cautions that power exercised without restraint can produce widespread, silent suffering.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the context of a forceful sweep through the forest (as described in the surrounding prose), animals flee in panic; unable to find water and worn down by running, many become senseless and fall to the ground from exhaustion, hunger, and thirst.