Shloka 27

Sāvitrī’s Report and Nārada’s Prognosis (सावित्र्याख्यान—सत्यवान्-गुणवर्णनं तथा अल्पायुषः पूर्वसूचना)

Devanagari script

स तद्‌ राजा वच: श्रुत्वा विप्रियं दारुणोदयम्‌ । दुःखारतोीं भरतश्रेष्ठ न किंचिद्‌ व्याजहार ह

Transliteration

sa tad rājā vacaḥ śrutvā vipriyaṃ dāruṇodayam | duḥkhārto hi bharataśreṣṭha na kiñcid vyājahāra ha ||

Translation

Markandeya said: Hearing those words—unwelcome and foreboding in their consequences—the king was overwhelmed by grief. O best of the Bharatas, he could not utter anything at all.

Word by Word

• सः: he
• सः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुं, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• राजा: the king
• राजा: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• वचः: speech/words
• वचः: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: वचस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुं, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• श्रुत्वा: having heard
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा (अव्यय-भावे), कर्तरि

• विप्रियम्: unpleasant
• विप्रियम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विप्रिय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुं, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• दारुण-उदयम्: having a dreadful outcome
• दारुण-उदयम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दारुण (प्रातिपदिक) + उदय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुं, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• दुःख-आर्तः: distressed with sorrow
• दुःख-आर्तः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुःख (प्रातिपदिक) + आर्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• भरत-श्रेष्ठ: O best of the Bharatas
• Type: Noun
• Root: भरत (प्रातिपदिक) + श्रेष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं, सम्बोधन, एकवचन

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (निषेध-अव्यय)

• किञ्चित्: anything
• किञ्चित्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुं, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• व्याजहार: said/uttered
• Type: Verb
• Root: आहृ/अह् (धातु) (उपसर्ग: वि + आ)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत/परफेक्ट), प्रथम, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• ह: indeed/for emphasis
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ह (निपात)

Speaker

मार्कण्डेय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Mārkaṇḍeya
• Daśaratha
• Kaikeyī
• Bharataśreṣṭha (Yudhiṣṭhira)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the moral weight of speech and promises in royal life: when a demand carries disastrous consequences, the righteous mind may be struck silent by grief, revealing the tension between personal affection, duty, and the irreversible force of pledged words.

What is happening in the narrative?

Mārkaṇḍeya narrates that King Daśaratha hears Kaikeyī’s harsh, ominous words (connected with a dreadful outcome). Overcome by sorrow, he is unable to respond and remains silent.