Shloka 96

Vasiṣṭhāpavāha: Sarasvatī’s Diversion and Viśvāmitra’s Curse (वसिष्ठापवाहः)

Devanagari script

अहो बत नृशंसं वै वाक्यमुक्तो5स्मि संसदि । उनकी वैसी बात सुनकर धर्मज्ञ ऋषिने चिन्तामग्न होकर सोचा--“अहो! बड़े खेदकी बात है कि इस राजाने भरी सभामें मुझसे ऐसा कठोर वचन कहा है”

Transliteration

aho bata nṛśaṁsaṁ vai vākyam ukto ’smi saṁsadi |

Translation

Vaiśampāyana said: “Alas! In the royal assembly I have been addressed with a truly cruel and heartless remark.” Hearing such words, the dharma-knowing sage, sinking into anxious reflection, lamented that a king could speak so harshly in a public court.

Word by Word

अहोalas!/oh!

बतindeed/forsooth (emphatic particle)

नृशंसम्cruel, harsh

वैindeed/certainly

वाक्यम्speech, statement, word

उक्तःspoken (to/at), addressed

अस्मिI am

संसदिin the assembly/court

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

saṁsad (royal assembly)

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 speech: harsh, cruel words spoken publicly—especially by a ruler—violate dharma by injuring dignity, truthfulness, and proper conduct in the assembly.

What is happening in the narrative?

The narrator reports a moment of moral shock: someone (a sage, in the surrounding context) has been addressed with a cruel statement in the royal court, prompting inward distress and reflection on the impropriety of such speech from a king.