Shloka 11

Śakuntalā’s Satya-Discourse and the Recognition of Bharata (शकुन्तला–सत्योपदेशः; भरतप्रतिग्रहः)

Devanagari script

इति वाचो ब्रुवन्त्यस्ता: स्त्रिय: प्रेमणा नराधिपम्‌

Transliteration

iti vāco bruvantyāstāḥ striyaḥ premanā narādhipam | yatra-tatra sthitāḥ śreṣṭhā brāhmaṇāḥ sarvato 'sya stuti-praśaṃsāṃ kurvanti | (mūla-pāṭhe puṣpa-vṛṣṭi-śiraso 'pi bhāvaḥ)

Translation

Sambil mengucapkan kata-kata demikian, para perempuan itu memuji sang raja dengan penuh kasih dan menaburkan hujan bunga ke atas kepalanya.

Word by Word

• इति: thus
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति

• वाचः: words/speeches
• वाचः: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाच्
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Plural

• ब्रुवन्त्यः: speaking/saying
• ब्रुवन्त्यः: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू
• Form: शतृ (present active participle), Feminine, Nominative, Plural

• आस्ताः: they sat/stood (were stationed)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आस्
• Form: Perfect (लिट्), Third, Plural, Parasmaipada

• स्त्रियः: women
• स्त्रियः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्त्री
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Plural

• प्रेमणा: with love/affection
• प्रेमणा: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रेमन्
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• नराधिपम्: the king (lord of men)
• नराधिपम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: नराधिप
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• narādhipa (the king)
• women (striyaḥ)
• brāhmaṇas (brāhmaṇāḥ)
• flowers (puṣpa) (implied by the accompanying Hindi gloss)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how a ruler’s standing is reinforced by communal and priestly recognition: affectionate praise by women and formal commendation by brāhmaṇas together function as ethical-social validation of kingship, suggesting that public trust and dharmic reputation are integral to royal legitimacy.

What is happening in the narrative?

Women speak lovingly and praise the king, while eminent brāhmaṇas positioned around the gathering also extol him from all sides; the accompanying tradition describes a celebratory showering of flowers upon his head, marking a moment of public honor.