Shloka 8

अङ्गददूतवाक्यं लङ्काप्राकारभेदनं च

Angada’s Embassy and the Breach of Laṅkā’s Ramparts

Devanagari script

स प्रविश्याश्रम॑ पुण्यं सिंहगोष्ठ वको यथा,येषां कुशलकामासि ते5पि कच्चिदनामया: । उसने अपने छ: भाइयोंके साथ स्वयं सातवाँ बनकर द्रौपदीके पवित्र आश्रममें प्रवेश किया, मानो कोई भेड़िया सिंहकी माँदमें घुसा हो। वहाँ जाकर उसने द्रौपदीसे इस प्रकार कहा--“वरारोहे! तुम कुशलसे हो न? तुम्हारे पति नीरोग तो हैं न? इनके सिवा और जिन लोगोंको तुम सकुशल देखना चाहती हो, वे सभी स्वस्थ तो हैं न?

Transliteration

sa praviśyāśramaṁ puṇyaṁ siṁhaghoṣṭhaṁ vako yathā | yeṣāṁ kuśalakāmāsi te ’pi kaccid anāmayāḥ ||

Translation

彼はその聖なる庵に踏み入り――まるで狼が獅子の巣穴へ忍び込むかのように――偽りの礼をもってドラウパディーに語りかけた。「麗しき腰の御方よ、御身はつつがなきや。御夫君たちは病なく安らかなるや。さらに、そなたが無事と繁栄を願う他の者たちも、皆健やかなるや。」

Word by Word

सःhe

प्रविश्यhaving entered

आश्रमम्hermitage, ashram

पुण्यम्holy, meritorious

सिंहगोष्ठम्lion’s lair/den

वकःwolf (as used in this simile-context)

यथाas, like

येषाम्of whom

कुशलकामःdesirous of (their) welfare

असिyou are

तेthey

अपिalso, even

कच्चित्whether (indeed)? (interrogative particle)

अनामयाःfree from illness, healthy

Speaker

वैशग्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśaṁpāyana

Draupadī

Pāṇḍavas (husbands of Draupadī)

āśrama (hermitage)

siṁhaghoṣṭha (lion’s den)

vaka (wolf)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the ethical contrast between outwardly courteous inquiry and concealed hostility: refined speech and concern for welfare can be used as a mask, so discernment (viveka) is needed to judge intent, not merely words.

What is happening in the narrative?

A hostile visitor enters Draupadī’s sacred hermitage with his companions, compared to a wolf entering a lion’s den, and then addresses her with seemingly polite questions about her well-being, her husbands’ health, and the safety of others dear to her.