Shloka 2

Devanagari script

स ध्यात्वा सुचिरं काल॑ दुः:खरोषसमन्वित: । श्वसमानो यथा नाग: प्रणुन्नो वाकुशलाकया,वे दुःख और रोषसे युक्त होकर दीर्घकालतक कुछ सोचते हुए लंबी साँस खींचते रहे। वाणीरूपी अंकुशसे पीड़ित होकर वे हाथीके समान व्यथाका अनुभव करने लगे

Transliteration

sa dhyātvā suciraṃ kālaṃ duḥkha-roṣa-samanvitaḥ | śvasamāno yathā nāgaḥ praṇunno vāg-uśalākayā ||

Translation

ສັນຊະຍະໄດ້ກ່າວວ່າ: «ລາວຄິດຢູ່ດົນນານ ພ້ອມດ້ວຍຄວາມໂສກແລະຄວາມໂກດ; ແລ້ວຫາຍໃຈໜັກໆ. ເຫມືອນຊ້າງທີ່ຖືກກະຕຸ້ນດ້ວຍຂໍງໍ້ຄືຖ້ອຍຄຳ, ລາວຮູ້ສຶກເຈັບປວດຢູ່ພາຍໃນ.»

Word by Word

सःhe

ध्यात्वाhaving reflected/pondered

सुचिरम्for a very long (time)

कालम्time/period

दुःखरोषसमन्वितःendowed with sorrow and anger

श्वसमानःbreathing/sighing

यथाas/like

नागःelephant

प्रणुन्नःdriven/urged/tormented

वाकुशलाकयाby the goad/ankusha in the form of words

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

nāga (elephant)

vāg-uśalākā (speech as a goad/hook)

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 underscores the ethical power of speech: sharp words can act like a goad, provoking grief and anger that disturb inner balance. It implicitly values restraint and mindful speech, especially when decisions carry moral and social consequences.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes a person who, after long reflection, is overwhelmed by sorrow and wrath and begins to breathe heavily. The simile compares his agitation to an elephant prodded by a hook—here, the ‘hook’ is cutting speech that has pierced and unsettled him.