Shloka 17

बक-राक्षसस्य आह्वानम् तथा वृक्षयुद्धम्

Summons of Baka and the Tree-Weapon Engagement

Devanagari script

एते रुवन्ति मधुरं सारसा जलचारिण: । ध्रुवमत्र जलस्थानं महच्येति मतिर्मम,'ये जलचर सारस पक्षी बड़ी मीठी बोली बोल रहे हैं; (अतः) यहाँ (पासमें) अवश्य कोई महान्‌ जलाशय होगा--ऐसा मेरा विश्वास है”

Transliteration

ete ruvanti madhuraṃ sārasā jalacāriṇaḥ | dhruvam atra jalasthānaṃ mahac ceti matir mama ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana dit : « Ces sārasa (grues) qui vivent dans l’eau lancent des appels mélodieux. Assurément, il doit y avoir tout près une vaste étendue d’eau : telle est ma certitude. »

Word by Word

एतेthese

रुवन्तिcry/sound

मधुरम्sweetly / sweet (sound)

सारसाःcranes (sārasas)

जलचारिणःwater-going, aquatic

ध्रुवम्surely, certainly

अत्रhere

जलस्थानम्a water-reservoir, watery place

महत्great

चand

एतिis/comes to be (i.e., exists/there is)

मतिःthought, belief

ममof me, my

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

sārasas (cranes)

jalasthāna (a water-reservoir)

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?

Attentive observation of the natural world can guide prudent action: hearing water-birds, the speaker infers the presence of a nearby water source, illustrating practical discernment (mati) grounded in signs.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the course of the story, the speaker notes the sweet calls of water-birds (sārasas) and concludes that a large lake or reservoir must be close at hand.