Shloka 3

Devanagari script

श्रुत्वाथ तस्य तं शब्दं कन्या श्रीरिव रूपिणी । निश्चक्रामाश्रमात्‌ तस्मात्‌ तापसीवेषधारिणी,दुष्यन्तके उस शब्दको सुनकर एक मूर्तिमती लक्ष्मी-सी सुन्दरी कन्या तापसीका वेष धारण किये आश्रमके भीतरसे निकली

Transliteration

śrutvātha tasya taṃ śabdaṃ kanyā śrīr iva rūpiṇī | niścakrāmāśramāt tasmāt tāpasī-veṣa-dhāriṇī ||

Translation

Hearing his voice, a maiden—beautiful as embodied Śrī (Fortune)—came forth from that hermitage, wearing the attire of an ascetic.

Word by Word

• श्रुत्वा: having heard
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा (absolutive/gerund), active (parasmaipada sense), non-finite

• अथ: then/now
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ

• तस्य: of him/of that (person)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: masculine/neuter, genitive, singular

• तम्: that (sound) / it
• तम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: masculine, accusative, singular

• शब्दम्: sound/voice
• शब्दम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: शब्द (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: masculine, accusative, singular

• कन्या: a maiden/girl
• कन्या: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: कन्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: feminine, nominative, singular

• श्रीः: Lakṣmī / splendor
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्री (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: feminine, nominative, singular

• इव: like/as if
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव

• रूपिणी: beautiful/possessing form
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रूपिन् (प्रातिपदिक) / रूपिणी (स्त्री-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: feminine, nominative, singular

• निश्चक्राम: came out/stepped forth
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि + क्रम् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (perfect), 3rd, singular, parasmaipada

• आश्रमात्: from the hermitage
• आश्रमात्: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: आश्रम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: masculine, ablative, singular

• तस्मात्: from that (place)
• तस्मात्: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: masculine/neuter, ablative, singular

• तापसी: a female ascetic
• Type: Noun
• Root: तापसी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: feminine, nominative, singular

• वेष: dress/guise
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: masculine, accusative (in compound relation), singular

• धारिणी: wearing/bearing
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धृ (धातु) → धारिन्/धारिणी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: णिनि/इनि-प्रत्यय (agentive: 'one who bears'), feminine, nominative, singular

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Śrī (Lakṣmī)
• the maiden (Śakuntalā, implied by context)
• āśrama (hermitage)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the ethical contrast and harmony between royal life and hermitage-dharma: true worth may appear in simple ascetic dress, and one should respond to such encounters with restraint, respect, and discernment.

What is happening in the narrative?

After hearing a man’s voice (contextually King Duṣyanta), a radiant maiden likened to Lakṣmī steps out from the hermitage, dressed as a female ascetic—setting the stage for their consequential meeting.