Shloka 7

नलस्य बाहुकत्वेन ऋतुपर्णनगरप्रवेशः

Nala as Bāhuka enters Ṛtuparṇa’s city

Devanagari script

नदी: सरांसि वापीश्व विविधांश्व मृगद्धिजान्‌ । सा बहून्‌ भीमरूपांश्न॒ पिशाचोरगराक्षसान्‌,कितनी ही नदियों, सरोवरों, बावलियों तथा नाना प्रकारके मृगों और पक्षियोंको देखा। उसने बहुत-से भयानक रूपवाले पिशाच, नाग तथा राक्षस देखे। कितने ही गड्ढों, पोखरों और पर्वतशिखरोंका अवलोकन किया। सरिताओं और अद्भुत झरनोंको देखा

Transliteration

bṛhadaśva uvāca |

nadīḥ sarāṃsi vāpīś ca vividhāṃś ca mṛgadvi-jān |

sā bahūn bhīmarūpāṃś ca piśācoragarākṣasān ||

Translation

Bṛhadaśva said: “She beheld rivers, lakes, and wells, and many kinds of beasts and birds. She also saw numerous fearsome beings—piśācas, serpents, and rākṣasas.”

Word by Word

• {'bṛhadaśva uvāca': 'Bṛhadaśva said', 'nadīḥ': 'rivers', 'sarāṃsi': 'lakes, ponds', 'vāpīḥ (vāpīś ca)': 'wells, reservoirs, stepwells', 'vividhān': 'various, diverse', 'mṛga': 'wild animals, beasts', 'dvijān': 'twice-born

• here: birds', 'sā': 'she', 'bahūn': 'many', 'bhīmarūpān': 'of terrifying form', 'piśāca': 'ghoul-like spirit, flesh-eating demon', 'uraga': 'serpent', 'rākṣasa': 'demon, man-eater'}

Speaker

बृहृदश्च उवाच

Characters & Entities

• बृहदश्व (Bṛhadaśva)
• नदी (rivers)
• सरांसि (lakes)
• वापी (wells/reservoirs)
• मृग (wild animals)
• द्विज (birds)
• पिशाच (piśācas)
• उरग (serpents)
• राक्षस (rākṣasas)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse underscores the stark reality of forest-life: nature’s abundance (rivers, lakes, animals) coexists with danger (piśācas, serpents, rākṣasas). Ethically, it highlights endurance and alertness—steadfastness amid fearsome surroundings.

What is happening in the narrative?

The speaker Bṛhadaśva describes what “she” saw while moving through the wilderness—varied waterscapes and wildlife, along with terrifying supernatural and predatory beings—emphasizing the hazardous terrain and atmosphere of the forest journey.