Shloka 53

Kubera’s Fivefold Nīti and Protection of the Pāṇḍavas (वैश्रवणोपदेशः)

Devanagari script

कोकिलै: कलविड्कैश्न हारितैर्जीवजीविकै: । प्रियकैश्ातकैश्वैव तथान्यैरविविधै: खगै:,इन वृक्षोंपर निवास करनेवाले चकोर, मोर, भूृंगराज, तोते, कोयल, कलविंक (गौरैया- चिड़िया), हारीत (हारिल), चकवा, प्रियक, चातक तथा दूसरे नाना प्रकारके पक्षी, श्रवणसुखद मधुर शब्द बोल रहे थे। वहाँ चारों ओर जलचर जन्तुओंसे भरे हुए मनोहर सरोवर दृष्टिगोचर होते थे। जिनमें कुमुद, पुण्डरीक, कोकनद, उत्पल, कह्लार और कमल सब ओर व्याप्त थे। कादम्ब, चक्रवाक, कुरर, जलकुक्कुट, कारण्डव, प्लव, हंस, बक, मदगु तथा अन्य कितने ही जलचर पक्षी कमलोंके मकरन्दका पान करके मदसे मतवाले और हर्षसे मुग्ध हुए उन सरोवरोंमें सब ओर फैले थे

Transliteration

kokilaiḥ kalaviṅkaiś ca hāritair jīvajīvikaiḥ | priyakaiś cātakaiś caiva tathānyair vividhaiḥ khagaiḥ ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana dijo: «Había cucos (kokila), gorriones (kalaviṅka), loros verdes (hārita), aves jīvajīvika, así como aves priyaka y cātaka, y muchas otras clases de alados. Habitaban en los árboles y llenaban el lugar con cantos dulces y gratos al oído».

Word by Word

कोकिलैःby/with cuckoos

कलविङ्कैःby/with sparrows (kalaviṅka-birds)

हारितैःby/with hārita birds (a kind of parrot/green bird)

जीवजीविकैःby/with jīvajīvika birds (a kind of bird)

प्रियकैःby/with priyaka birds (a kind of bird)

चातकैःby/with cātaka birds

एवindeed/also

तथाand so/likewise

अन्यैःby/with other

अविविधैःof various kinds

खगैःby/with birds

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

kokila (cuckoo)

kalaviṅka (sparrow-like bird)

hārita (green bird/parrot)

jīvajīvika (bird)

priyaka (bird)

cātaka (rain-bird)

khaga (birds in general)

trees (vṛkṣa, implied by context)

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 primarily offers a serene nature-description rather than a direct moral injunction. Indirectly, it frames the forest as a space of quiet order and harmony—an ethical contrast to human conflict—suggesting that attentiveness to the natural world can steady the mind during exile and hardship.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana describes the forest environment: many species of birds inhabit the trees and produce sweet, pleasing sounds. The passage functions as scene-setting in the Vana Parva, emphasizing the richness and calm of the wilderness surrounding the protagonists’ journey/exile.