Shloka 9

Nārada’s Exempla of Tapas and Assurance to Dhṛtarāṣṭra (नारदोपदेशः—तपःसिद्ध्युदाहरणम्)

Devanagari script

मृगयूथैरनुद्विग्नैस्तत्र तत्र समाश्रितै: । अशड्कितै: पक्षिगणै: प्रगीतैरिव च प्रभो

Transliteration

mṛgayūthair anudvignais tatra tatra samāśritaiḥ | aśaṅkitaiḥ pakṣigaṇaiḥ pragītair iva ca prabho ||

Translation

വൈശമ്പായനൻ പറഞ്ഞു—പ്രഭോ! അവിടെ ഇവിടെ അവിടെ കലങ്ങാതെയുള്ള മൃഗയൂഥങ്ങൾ നിർഭയമായി ആശ്രയിച്ച് വിശ്രമിച്ചു; ഭയമില്ലാത്ത പക്ഷിസമൂഹങ്ങൾ പാടുന്നതുപോലെ തോന്നി—അത്ര ശാന്തവും സുരക്ഷിതവുമായിരുന്നു ആ ദൃശ്യം.

Word by Word

मृगयूथैःby herds of deer

अनुद्विग्नैःunagitated, unalarmed

तत्रthere

तत्रin various places (here and there)

समाश्रितैःhaving resorted to, settled in

अशङ्कितैःunafraid, without suspicion

पक्षिगणैःby flocks of birds

प्रगीतैःsinging, warbling

इवas if, like

चand

प्रभोO lord

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

deer (mṛga)

herds of deer (mṛgayūtha)

birds (pakṣi)

flocks of birds (pakṣigaṇa)

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 and spiritual ideal of a refuge where fear subsides: when life is guided by restraint and non-harm, even wild creatures become calm. It implicitly contrasts the violence of the past with the peace sought in the forest-ashrama stage.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana describes the setting as serene: deer rest undisturbed in different places and birds, unafraid, appear to sing. The imagery establishes the atmosphere of a quiet forest refuge associated with ashrama life.