Shloka 22

Devanagari script

विश्वामित्रकी बात सुनकर और उनकी पापपूर्ण चेष्टा जानकर वसिष्ठके भूतलपर विख्यात अनुपम प्रभावको जानती हुई उस नदीने उनके पास जाकर बुद्धिमान विश्वामित्रने जो कुछ कहा था, वह सब उनसे कह सुनाया ।। उभयो: शापयोर्भीता वेपमाना पुन: पुन: । चिन्तयित्वा महाशापमृषिवित्रासिता भृूशम्‌,वह दोनोंके शापसे भयभीत हो बारंबार काँप रही थी। महान्‌ शापका चिन्तन करके विश्वामित्र ऋषिके डरसे बहुत डर गयी थी

Transliteration

ubhayōḥ śāpayor bhītā vepamānā punaḥ punaḥ | cintayitvā mahāśāpam ṛṣi-vitrāsitā bhṛśam ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana said: Hearing Viśvāmitra’s words and discerning his sinful intent, and knowing Vasiṣṭha’s famed, unrivalled power upon the earth, the river went to him and repeated all that the wise Viśvāmitra had said. Afraid of the two curses, she trembled again and again; pondering the dreadful might of that great curse, she grew exceedingly fearful of the sage Viśvāmitra’s wrath.

Word by Word

उभयोःof both

शापयोःof the two curses

भीताfrightened

वेपमानाtrembling

पुनःagain

चिन्तयित्वाhaving reflected upon

महाशापम्the great curse

ऋषिof the sage

वित्रासिताterrified

भृशम्exceedingly

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Viśvāmitra

Vasiṣṭha

the river (nadī)

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 the ethical weight of ascetic power: curses are not merely supernatural threats but moral forces with consequences. Fear arises when one is entangled in adharma or caught between competing authorities, urging discernment and restraint.

What is happening in the narrative?

A river, having become involved in the conflict between the sages Viśvāmitra and Vasiṣṭha, is terrified by the prospect of being cursed by either side. She repeatedly trembles, contemplating the severity of the curse and the sage’s anger.