Shloka 19

Vyāsa’s Boon-Offer and Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Remorse in the Forest Assembly (आश्रमवासिक पर्व, अध्याय ३६)

Devanagari script

अथ वायु: समुद्भूतो दावाग्निरभवन्महान्‌ | ददाह तद्‌ वन सर्व परिगृह् समनन्‍्ततः

Transliteration

atha vāyuḥ samudbhūto dāvāgnir abhavan mahān | dadāha tad vana sarvaṃ parigṛhya samanantataḥ ||

Translation

Nārada dit : Alors un vent se leva, et de ce vent jaillit un grand incendie de forêt. Enveloppant le bois de toutes parts, il brûla la forêt entière—signe de mauvais augure, rappelant combien vite les appuis du monde peuvent être consumés lorsque le temps et les circonstances deviennent contraires.

Word by Word

• अथ: then
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ

• वायुः: wind
• वायुः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: वायु
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• समुद्भूतः: arisen, sprung up
• समुद्भूतः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: समुद्भूत
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• दावाग्निः: forest-fire
• दावाग्निः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: दावाग्नि
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• अभवत्: became, arose
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू
• Form: Imperfect (Laṅ), 3rd, Singular

• महान्: great, huge
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• ददाह: burned, consumed
• Type: Verb
• Root: दह्
• Form: Perfect (Liṭ), 3rd, Singular

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• वनम्: forest
• वनम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: वन
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• सर्वम्: entire, all
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• परिगृह्य: having surrounded/encircled
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: परि-ग्रह्
• Form: Absolutive (Gerund), Parasmaipada (usage)

• समन्ततः: on all sides, all around
• समन्ततः: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: समन्ततः

Speaker

नारद उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Nārada
• vāyu (wind)
• dāvāgni (forest-fire)
• vana (forest)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights impermanence: even a settled refuge like a forest-āśrama can be suddenly consumed. It supports the Mahābhārata’s ethical mood of vairāgya—non-attachment and readiness to meet change without clinging.

What is happening in the narrative?

Nārada narrates that a strong wind arises and a great wildfire breaks out, spreading in all directions and burning the entire forest, signaling a decisive and dangerous shift in the situation of those dwelling there.