Shloka 20

Devanagari script

न जहीौ पुत्रशोकार्ता जरिता खाण्डवे सुतान्‌ । बभार चैतान्‌ संजातान्‌ स्ववृत्त्या स्‍्नेहविप्लवा,अंडेमें स्थित उन मुनियोंको यद्यपि मन्दपालने त्याग दिया था, तो भी वे त्यागने योग्य नहीं थे। अतः पुत्र-शोकसे पीड़ित हुई जरिताने खाण्डववनमें अपने पुत्रोंको नहीं छोड़ा। वह स्नेहसे विह्नल होकर अपनी तवृत्तिद्वारा उन नवजात शिशुओंका भरण-पोषण करती रही

Transliteration

Vaiśampāyana uvāca: na jahau putraśokārtā Jaritā Khāṇḍave sutān | babhāra caitān saṃjātān svavṛttyā snehaviplavā ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana dijo: Abrumada por el dolor por sus hijos, Jaritā no abandonó a sus vástagos en el bosque de Khāṇḍava. Sacudida por el amor materno, sostuvo y crió a aquellos recién nacidos con sus propios medios, negándose a tratarlos como desechados.

Word by Word

नnot

जहीौabandoned/left

पुत्र-शोक-आर्ताafflicted by grief for (her) sons

जरिताJaritā

खाण्डवेin Khāṇḍava (forest)

सुतान्sons

बभारsupported/bore/maintained

चand

एतान्these

संजातान्newly born/produced

स्व-वृत्त्याby her own means/effort (lit. by her own livelihood/way)

स्नेह-विप्लवाoverwhelmed by affection

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Jaritā

sons (sutāḥ)

Khāṇḍava forest

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights an ethical impulse aligned with dharma: the vulnerable—especially newborn children—are not to be discarded. Even amid grief and hardship, Jaritā’s steadfast care models responsibility and compassion, showing how parental duty can override abandonment.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Khāṇḍava forest episode, Jaritā, distressed for her offspring, refuses to leave her newborn sons behind. Overcome by affection, she continues to sustain and raise them through her own efforts.