Shloka 22

Devanagari script

अथ पातयमानस्य बिल्वापदह्वतचक्षुष: । न्यपतंस्तानि बिल्वानि तस्मिन्नेवाजिने विभो

Transliteration

atha pātayamānasya bilvāpadahvata-cakṣuṣaḥ | nyapataṃstāni bilvāni tasminnevājine vibho ||

Translation

വൈശമ്പായനൻ പറഞ്ഞു—ഹേ വിഭോ! അവൻ ബിൽവഫലങ്ങൾ താഴെ വീഴ്ത്തിക്കൊണ്ടിരിക്കെ, കണ്ണുകൾ ബിൽവവൃക്ഷത്തിലേയ്ക്ക് തന്നെ പതിഞ്ഞിരുന്നു; അപ്പോൾ ആ ഫലങ്ങൾ അതേ അജിനത്തിന്മേൽ വീണു.

Word by Word

अथthen

पातयमानस्यof (him) who was causing to fall / making fall

बिल्वापदह्वतचक्षुषःof him whose eyes were struck/afflicted by a bilva-fruit falling at his feet

न्यपतन्fell down

तानिthose

बिल्वानिbilva fruits

तस्मिन्in/onto that

एवindeed/just

अजिनेon the hide/skin (deerskin)

विभोO mighty one

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

bilva (tree/fruit)

ājina (hide/skin)

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 how minor, natural events can become decisive turning points, inviting reflection on prudence, interpretation of signs, and the ethical weight of subsequent choices made in response.

What is happening in the narrative?

As someone is being brought down or thrown, his gaze is fixed on a bilva tree; at that moment bilva fruits drop and land on the same hide (ājina), marking a concrete, observable incident within the unfolding scene.