Shloka 16

Devanagari script

मुनिर्वाच न भयं द्वीपिन: कार्य मृत्युतस्ते कथंचन । एष श्वरूपरहितो द्वीपी भवसि पुत्रक,मुनिने कहा--बेटा! अपने लिये मृत्युस्वरूप इस चीतेसे तुम्हें किसी प्रकार भय नहीं करना चाहिये। यह लो, तुम अभी कुत्तेके रूपसे रहित चीता हुए जाते हो

Transliteration

munir uvāca na bhayaṁ dvīpinaḥ kāryaṁ mṛtyutas te kathaṁcana | eṣa svarūpa-rahito dvīpī bhavasi putraka ||

Translation

The sage said, “My child, you need not fear this leopard at all, even though it is a cause of death. Look—by my power you are now freed from your former form and become a leopard.”

Word by Word

मुनिःthe sage

उवाचsaid/spoke

नnot

भयम्fear

द्वीपिनःfrom the leopard/tiger

कार्यम्to be done/necessary

मृत्युतःfrom death

तेto you/for you

कथंचनin any way/at all

एषःthis (one)

श्व-रूप-रहितःdevoid of dog-form

द्वीपीa leopard/tiger

भवसिyou become/are

पुत्रकdear son

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

muni (sage)

putraka (the addressed child/son)

dvīpī (leopard)

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?

Fear should be governed by discernment and dharma: even when something is ‘death-like,’ one need not succumb to panic when protected by rightful power and guidance. The sage’s assurance models calm, ethical control over danger rather than impulsive fear.

What is happening in the narrative?

A sage addresses a child and tells him not to fear a deadly leopard. In the same moment, the sage effects a transformation: the child is made ‘form-free’ (freed from his prior shape) and becomes a leopard, indicating the sage’s mastery and the narrative’s use of metamorphosis to convey moral instruction.