Shloka 114

अध्याय ७४: अक्रोध–क्षमा–निवासनीति

Chapter 74: Non-anger, Forbearance, and the Ethics of Residence

Devanagari script

शाकुन्तलं महात्मानं दौष्यन्तिं भर पौरव । भर्तव्यो5यं त्वया यस्मादस्माकं वचनादपि

Transliteration

śākuntalaṁ mahātmānaṁ dauṣyantīṁ bhara paurava | bhartavyo ’yaṁ tvayā yasmād asmākaṁ vacanād api ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana said: “O descendant of Puru, support and maintain this noble Śākuntala, the wife of Duṣyanta. You must uphold her, for this is enjoined upon you—even by our word (and authority).”

Word by Word

शाकुन्तलम्Śakuntala’s son (Śakuntala-putra, i.e., Bharata)

महात्मानम्great-souled

दौष्यन्तिम्son/descendant of Duṣyanta

भरsupport / maintain / bear

पौरवO descendant of Pūru

भर्तव्यःto be maintained / ought to be supported

अयम्this (one)

त्वयाby you

यस्मात्because / since (from which reason)

अस्माकम्of us / our

वचनात्from (our) word; on the authority of (our) statement

अपिalso / even

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Śākuntalā

Duṣyanta

Paurava (descendant of Puru)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse emphasizes dharma as responsibility: a ruler (or one addressed as a Paurava) must uphold and protect a virtuous woman recognized as a lawful wife, and should heed the authoritative counsel of elders/reciters who speak for dharma.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Śākuntalopākhyāna context, the speaker urges the royal figure addressed as “Paurava” to accept and maintain Śākuntalā as Duṣyanta’s wife, grounding the demand in moral and authoritative instruction (“even by our word”).