Shloka 16

Cavana’s Tests of Kuśika and the Queen (अध्याय ५३: च्यवन–कुशिक-परिक्षा)

Devanagari script

जाल सुविततं तेषां नवसूत्रकृतं तथा । विस्तारायामसम्पन्नं यत्‌ तत्र सलिले$क्षिपन्‌

Transliteration

jāla suvitataṃ teṣāṃ navasūtrakṛtaṃ tathā | vistārāyāmasampannaṃ yat tatra salile 'kṣipan |

Translation

Bhīṣma said: “They cast into the water a well-spread net, newly made with fresh cords, complete in both breadth and length.”

Word by Word

जालम्net

सुविततम्well-spread, well-extended

तेषाम्of them

नवसूत्रकृतम्made with new threads

तथाand also; likewise

विस्तारायामसम्पन्नम्complete in breadth and length (i.e., of full width and length)

यत्which

तत्रthere

सलिलेin the water

अक्षिपन्they threw/cast

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhīṣma

jāla (net)

salila (water)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

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 deliberate preparation and completeness of means: when undertaking an action (especially one with moral stakes), one should employ well-made, properly arranged instruments rather than careless or half-measures.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhīṣma describes a concrete action: people cast a carefully spread, newly made net into the water—an image often used to illustrate methodical planning and effective execution within a larger ethical or instructional discourse.