Shloka 29
त्वरया निर्ययौ दुःखान्मार्गमाण: सुतां वने | दृष्टवा दुहितरं काव्यो देवयानीं ततो वने
tvarayā niryayau duḥkhān mārgamāṇaḥ sutāṃ vane | dṛṣṭvā duhitaram kāvyo devayānīṃ tato vane ||
Vaiśaṃpāyana said: In haste, and distressed, Kāvya (Śukrācārya) set out, searching for his daughter in the forest. There in the woods he caught sight of his daughter Devayānī. The verse highlights a father’s urgent responsibility and care, and the moral weight of protecting one’s dependents when they are vulnerable.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores dharma in the form of guardianship: when a dependent is missing or endangered, one must act promptly and decisively. Kāvya’s haste and distress reflect the ethical seriousness of a parent’s duty to protect and recover a vulnerable family member.
Vaiśaṃpāyana narrates that Kāvya (Śukrācārya), troubled, goes quickly into the forest to search for his daughter. He then sees Devayānī there in the woods, marking the moment of finding her after the search.