Shloka 5

Devanagari script

कथमुडुयने5शक्तान्‌ पतने च ममात्मजान्‌ | संतप्यमाना बहुधा वाशमाना प्रधावती,“मेरे बच्चे उड़ने और पंख फड़फड़ानेमें असमर्थ हैं। उन्हें उस दशामें देखकर संतप्त हो बार-बार चीत्कार करती और दौड़ती हुई जरिता किस दशामें होगी?

Transliteration

katham uḍḍayane ’śaktān patane ca mamātmajān | saṃtapyamānā bahudhā vāśamānā pradhāvatī ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana dit : «Que devait être Jaritā, voyant mes petits incapables de voler, incapables même de battre des ailes ? Tourmentée par la douleur, elle crierait encore et encore et courrait en tous sens, dans la détresse.»

Word by Word

कथम्how?

उडुयनेin flying / in flight

अशक्तान्unable, powerless

पतनेin falling / in descent

चand

ममof me, my

आत्मजान्sons/offspring

संतप्यमानाbeing tormented / grieving

बहुधाin many ways, repeatedly

वाशमानाcrying out, wailing

प्रधावतीruns forth, rushes

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Jaritā

ātmajāḥ (the children/offspring)

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 the ethical force of parental responsibility and compassion: the suffering of dependents (children unable to protect themselves) naturally calls forth urgent care, grief, and protective action.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana describes Jaritā’s distressed state as she sees her young ones unable to fly or even properly move their wings; overwhelmed, she repeatedly wails and runs about, seeking a way to protect them.