Shloka 29

जतुगृहदाहः — The Burning of the Lac House and the Pāṇḍavas’ Concealed Escape

Devanagari script

ततः प्रत्यागतप्राणा तावुभौ परिदंशितौ । पुत्री दृष्टवा सुसम्भ्रान्ता नान्वपद्यत किंचन,इससे कुन्तीको होश तो आ गया; किंतु अपने दोनों पुत्रोंको युद्धूके लिये कवच धारण किये देख वे बहुत घबरा गयीं। उन्हें रोकनेका कोई उपाय उनके ध्यानमें नहीं आया

Transliteration

tataḥ pratyāgataprāṇā tāv ubhau paridaṃśitau | putrī dṛṣṭvā susambhrāntā nānvapadyata kiṃcana ||

Translation

Entonces Kuntī recobró el sentido. Pero al ver a sus dos hijos dispuestos para el combate, ceñidos con armadura protectora, fue presa del espanto. En aquel instante de angustia no halló medio alguno para contenerlos ni para apartar lo que estaba por suceder.

Word by Word

ततःthen, thereafter

प्रत्यागतप्राणाhaving regained consciousness (life-breath returned)

तौthose two

उभौboth

परिदंशितौarmed/encased (lit. bitten/fastened all around; here: wearing armor)

पुत्रीthe daughter (Kuntī, as mother of sons is contextually implied in some recensions)

दृष्ट्वाhaving seen

सुसम्भ्रान्ताgreatly agitated/alarmed

नnot

अन्वपद्यतfound/obtained (a way), resorted to

किंचनanything, any (means)

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Kuntī

two sons (the two brothers)

armor (kavaca)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights a dharmic crisis at the level of lived experience: even a righteous mother, upon seeing her sons poised for violence, may be overwhelmed and unable to act. It underscores how quickly conflict can outpace counsel, and how emotional shock can paralyze moral agency.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana narrates that Kuntī comes back to her senses and immediately sees her two sons prepared for combat, armored and ready. Alarmed, she searches for a way to stop them but cannot think of any effective उपाय (means).