Shloka 21

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

Devanagari script

पातयामास दुष्यन्तो निर्बिभेद च सायकै: । दूरस्थान्‌ सायकै: कांश्चिदभिनत्‌ स नराधिप:

Transliteration

pātayāmāsa duṣyanto nirbibheda ca sāyakaiḥ | dūrasthān sāyakaiḥ kāṁścid abhinat sa narādhipaḥ ||

Translation

ヴァイシャンパーヤナは語った。「ドゥシュヤンタ王は多くの獣を打ち倒し、矢で貫いた。遠くにいるものさえ、その君主は矢束で傷を負わせた。」

Word by Word

• पातयामास: caused to fall; felled
• Type: Verb
• Root: पत् (धातु) / पातय् (णिच्-प्रयोग)
• Form: लिट् (परस्मैपद), 3, singular

• दुष्यन्तः: Dushyanta
• दुष्यन्तः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुष्यन्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: masculine, nominative, singular

• निर्बिभेद: pierced; split
• Type: Verb
• Root: भिद् (धातु) (नि-उपसर्ग)
• Form: लिट् (परस्मैपद), 3, singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• सायकैः: with arrows
• सायकैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: सायक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: masculine, instrumental, plural

• दूरस्थान्: those standing far away; distant (ones)
• दूरस्थान्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दूरस्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: masculine, accusative, plural

• सायकैः: with arrows
• सायकैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: सायक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: masculine, instrumental, plural

• कांश्चित्: some (of them)
• कांश्चित्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: क (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + चित्
• Form: masculine, accusative, plural

• अभिनत्: struck/pierced (them)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नद्/नत्? (धातु) (अभि-उपसर्ग) → अभि-नद्/अभि-नत् (पाठभेद-संभाव्य); प्रचलितार्थः ‘भिनत्ति/विध्यति’
• Form: लुङ् (परस्मैपद), 3, singular

• सः: he
• सः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: masculine, nominative, singular

• नराधिपः: king; lord of men
• नराधिपः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर + अधिप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: masculine, nominative, singular

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Duṣyanta
• sāyaka (arrows)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse foregrounds royal power expressed through mastery over the wilderness. Ethically, it can be read as prompting reflection on when violence is justified—protective governance and maintaining order versus killing as mere sport—an issue repeatedly examined in epic dharma discussions.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana describes King Duṣyanta hunting: he fells animals, pierces them with arrows, and even strikes targets at a distance, emphasizing his strength, skill, and dominance in the forest setting.