Shloka 8

Uttaṅka’s Petition for Madayantī’s Divine Earrings (Maṇikuṇḍala) — Agreement, Proof, and Vigilance

Devanagari script

स तद्धाराभिभूतात्मा काष्ठ भारमरिंदम,तत: काष्ठै: सह तदा पपात धरणीतले । शत्रुदमन नरेश! बोझ भारी होनेके कारण वे बहुत थक गये। उनका शरीर लकड़ियोंके भारसे दब गया था। वे भूखसे पीड़ित हो रहे थे। जब आश्रमपर आकर उस बोझको वे जमीनपर गिराने लगे, उस समय चाँदीके तारकी भाँति सफेद रंगकी उनकी जटा लकड़ीमें चिपक गयी थी, जो उन लकड़ियोंके साथ ही जमीनपर गिर पड़ी

Transliteration

sa taddhārābhibhūtātmā kāṣṭha-bhāram ariṃdamaḥ | tataḥ kāṣṭhaiḥ saha tadā papāta dharaṇītale ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana said: Overpowered and exhausted by that burden, the foe-subduer, weighed down by the load of firewood, then collapsed upon the ground together with the wood.

Word by Word

सःhe

तत्by/with that

धाराstream, flow

अभिभूतात्माone whose self was overwhelmed

काष्ठभारम्the load of wood

अरिंदमO foe-subduer

ततःthen, thereafter

काष्ठैःwith the pieces of wood

सहtogether with

तदाat that time

पपातfell down

धरणीतलेon the ground

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśaṃpāyana

kāṣṭha (firewood)

dharaṇī (earth/ground)

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?

Even the capable can be brought low by hunger and excessive strain; dharmic effort requires discernment about bodily limits, cultivating humility and compassion rather than pride in endurance.

What is happening in the narrative?

A foe-taming figure, exhausted from carrying a heavy load of firewood, becomes overwhelmed and collapses to the ground along with the wood.