Shloka 8

भरद्वाजपुत्रवधः

The Slaying of Bharadvāja’s Son and the Sage’s Lament

Devanagari script

ततः स विहताशो<त्र जलकामो<शुचिर्ध्रुवम्‌ । निहतः सो$तिवेगेन शूलहस्तेन रक्षसा,निश्चय ही अपवित्र होनेके कारण यह शुद्धिके लिये जल लेनेकी इच्छा रखकर यहाँ आया था, परंतु मेरे रोक देनेसे यह हताश हो गया। उस दशामें उस शूलधारी राक्षसने इसके ऊपर बड़े वेगसे प्रहार करके इसे मार डाला

Transliteration

tataḥ sa vihatāśo ’tra jalakāmo ’śucir dhruvam | nihataḥ so ’tivegena śūlahastena rakṣasā ||

Translation

そのとき、まさにこの地で、彼はすっかり意気消沈した。身が不浄であり、浄めのための水を切に求めてこの場所へ来たのだが、私がそれを妨げたため、望みを失ったのである。その状態の彼に、槍を手にした羅刹が激しい勢いで打ちかかり、命を奪った。

Word by Word

ततःthen, thereafter

सःhe

विहताशःone whose hope is destroyed, hopeless

अत्रhere

जलकामःdesiring water

अशुचिःimpure

ध्रुवम्surely, certainly

निहतःslain, killed

सःhe

अतिवेगेनwith great speed/force

शूलहस्तेनby (one) having a spear in hand

रक्षसाby a rakshasa (demon)

Speaker

लोगश उवाच

Characters & Entities

Logaśa (speaker)

aśuciḥ (the impure person seeking water)

śūlahasta rākṣasa (spear-wielding demon)

jala (water)

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the ethical weight of allowing rightful acts of purification and duty to proceed; obstructing such a need can lead to despair and expose a person to harm, while predatory violence often strikes when someone is weakened or distressed.

What is happening in the narrative?

A person, described as ritually impure, comes seeking water for purification. He is prevented (by the speaker’s agency), becomes hopeless, and in that vulnerable state a spear-bearing rākṣasa attacks with great force and kills him.