Shloka 16

Vasiṣṭhāpavāha: Sarasvatī’s Diversion and Viśvāmitra’s Curse (वसिष्ठापवाहः)

Devanagari script

दृष्टवा तथावकीर्ण तु राष्ट्र स मनुजाधिप:

Transliteration

vaiśampāyana uvāca | dṛṣṭvā tathāvakīrṇaṃ tu rāṣṭraṃ sa manujādhipaḥ | krodhena mahatāviṣṭo dharmātmā vai pratāpavān ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana dijo: Al ver su reino así arrojado a la ruina y a la confusión, aquel señor de los hombres se afligió hondamente en su interior y se hundió en una preocupación profunda. Luego, junto con los brāhmaṇas, procuró salvar el país de aquella calamidad.

Word by Word

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Adhikarana
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश्
• Form: क्त्वा (absolutive/gerund), कर्तरि

• तथा: thus, in that manner
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा

• अवकीर्णम्: scattered, strewn about
• अवकीर्णम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अवकीर्ण
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• तु: but, indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु

• राष्ट्रसम्: kingdom, realm
• राष्ट्रसम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: राष्ट्र
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• मनुजाधिपः: lord of men (king)
• मनुजाधिपः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनुजाधिप
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• क्रोधेन: by/with anger
• क्रोधेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्रोध
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• महता: great
• महता: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत्
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• आविष्टः: possessed, seized (by)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आविष्ट
• Form: क्त (past passive participle used adjectivally), Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• धर्मात्मा: righteous-souled one
• धर्मात्मा: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्मात्मन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• वै: indeed, surely
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै

• प्रतापवान्: mighty, valorous
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रतापवत्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• manujādhipa (the king)
• rāṣṭra (kingdom/realm)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even a dharmic and capable ruler can be overtaken by krodha when the realm falls into disorder; the verse highlights the need to recognize anger as a destabilizing force that can threaten wise governance.

What is happening in the narrative?

The narrator describes a king witnessing his kingdom in a state of ruin/confusion (avakīrṇa). In response, the king—though righteous and powerful—is overwhelmed by intense anger, setting the emotional and political tone for the ensuing events.