Shloka 18

कपोती-विलापः स्वर्गसंयोगश्च

The Dove’s Lament and Celestial Reunion

Devanagari script

ततः कदाचित्‌ तस्याथ वनस्थस्य समन्ततः । पातयन्निव वक्षांस्तान्‌ सुमहान्‌ वातसम्भ्रम:

Transliteration

tataḥ kadācit tasyātha vanasthasya samantataḥ | pātayann iva vakṣāṁs tān sumahān vātasambhramaḥ ||

Translation

तब एक दिन वह वन में ही रह रहा था कि चारों ओर से प्रचण्ड आँधी उठी। वायु का उग्र वेग मानो चारों दिशाओं के वृक्ष-तनों को गिराता हुआ-सा प्रतीत हुआ।

Word by Word

• ततः: then/thereafter
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः

• कदाचित्: once/sometime
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कदाचित्

• तस्य: of him/of that
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: masculine/neuter, genitive, singular

• अथ: then/now
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ

• वनस्थस्य: of (him) staying in the forest
• वनस्थस्य: Adhikarana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वनस्थ
• Form: masculine, genitive, singular

• समन्ततः: on all sides
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: समन्ततः

• पातयन्: causing to fall/toppling
• पातयन्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: पत्
• Form: शतृ (present active participle), masculine, nominative, singular

• इव: as if/like
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव

• वक्षांसि: trunks (lit. chests) [of trees]
• वक्षांसि: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: वक्षस्
• Form: neuter, accusative, plural

• तान्: those
• तान्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: masculine, accusative, plural

• सुमहान्: very great
• सुमहान्: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुमहत्
• Form: masculine, nominative, singular

• वातसम्भ्रमः: a violent wind-storm/whirl of wind
• वातसम्भ्रमः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: वात-सम्भ्रम
• Form: masculine, nominative, singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• forest (vana)
• wind (vāta)
• tree-trunks (vakṣāṁsi)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse frames nature’s sudden violence as a test of steadiness: one established in dharma—especially in a forest/ascetic setting—must endure upheavals without losing composure or purpose.

What is happening in the narrative?

A person living in the forest is suddenly surrounded by a powerful wind-storm; the gusts seem to topple the trees, setting a dramatic scene for what follows.