Shloka 436

Devanagari script

अस्मिन्‌ प्रतिभये कूपे निमग्नं नष्टचेतसम्‌ । उस समय महर्षिने उनसे कहा--'देवताओ! देखो, मैं किस दशामें पड़ा हूँ। इस भयानक कूपमें गिरकर अपनी सुध-बुध खो बैठा हूँ"

Transliteration

asmin pratibhaye kūpe nimagnaṁ naṣṭacetasaṁ |

Translation

Vaiśampāyana dit : «Enfoncé dans ce puits effroyable, mon esprit et ma lucidité se sont perdus.» Alors le grand sage leur dit : «Ô dieux, voyez l’état où je suis tombé : ayant chuté dans cet abîme terrifiant, j’ai été privé de claire conscience.»

Word by Word

अस्मिन्in this

प्रतिभयेterrifying, fearsome

कूपेin a well

निमग्नम्sunk, immersed

नष्टचेतसम्one whose consciousness is lost

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

mahārṣi (great sage)

devatāḥ (gods)

kūpa (fearsome well/pit)

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 underscores human vulnerability in moments of extreme danger: when one is overwhelmed by fear and circumstance, clarity of mind can collapse. Ethically, it points to the need for compassion and timely assistance, and to the humility of acknowledging one’s condition before higher powers or wise guides.

What is happening in the narrative?

The speaker describes someone who has fallen into a terrifying well and become mentally disoriented. A great sage then addresses the gods, drawing their attention to the sufferer’s plight and implicitly seeking recognition and aid.