Shloka 19

षट्पञ्चाशः सर्गः — वैदेही-आश्वासनम् तथा अरिष्टारोहणम्

Consoling Sita and Ascending Mount Arishta

Devanagari script

बहुप्रस्रवणोपेतं शिलासञ्चयसङ्कटम्।महर्षियक्षगन्धर्वकिन्नरोरगसेवितम्।।।।

Transliteration

bahu-prasravaṇopetaṃ śilā-sañcaya-saṅkaṭam |

maharṣi-yakṣa-gandharva-kinnara-uraga-sevitam ||

Translation

അനവധി പ്രസ്രവണങ്ങളാൽ സമൃദ്ധവും, ശിലാസഞ്ചയങ്ങളാൽ ദുർഗ്ഗമവുമായ അത്; മഹർഷിമാർ, യക്ഷർ, ഗന്ധർവ്വർ, കിന്നരർ, നാഗാദി ഉരഗങ്ങൾ എന്നിവരാൽ സേവിതമായിരുന്നു.

Word by Word

• bahu-prasravaṇa-upetam: endowed with many waterfalls/springs
• bahu-prasravaṇa-upetam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bahu (प्रातिपदिक) + prasravaṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + upeta (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-एकवचनम्; समासः: 'बहुभिः प्रस्रवणैः उपेतम्'

• śilā-sañcaya-saṅkaṭam: made difficult by rock-heaps
• śilā-sañcaya-saṅkaṭam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śilā (प्रातिपदिक) + sañcaya (प्रातिपदिक) + saṅkaṭa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-एकवचनम्; समासः: 'शिलासञ्चयेन सङ्कटम्' = difficult due to heaps of rocks

• maharṣi-yakṣa-gandharva-kinnara-oraga-sevitam: frequented by sages, yakṣas, gandharvas, kinnaras and serpents
• maharṣi-yakṣa-gandharva-kinnara-oraga-sevitam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: maharṣi (प्रातिपदिक) + yakṣa (प्रातिपदिक) + gandharva (प्रातिपदिक) + kinnara (प्रातिपदिक) + oraga (प्रातिपदिक) + sevita (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-एकवचनम्; समाहार-द्वन्द्व (collective) + क्त-कृदन्त: 'महर्षिभिः...सेवितम्'

Context

There were many streams of water flowing and rocks making it difficult for the streams to flow. The mountain was inhabited by sages, yakshas, gandharvas, kinnaras and nagas, and uragas.

Characters & Entities

• prasravaṇa (waterfalls/springs)
• maharṣi (great sages)
• yakṣa
• gandharva
• kinnara
• uraga

FAQs

What is the core ethical principle (Dharma) in this verse?

It presents the mountain as a shared sacred space for ascetics and supernatural guardians; Dharma here implies respect for holy places and for diverse orders of beings who uphold cosmic balance.

What is the narrative situation?

The narration marks the mountain as both physically formidable and spiritually inhabited, blending wilderness with sanctity.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Reverence (śraddhā): awareness that certain spaces are to be approached with humility and restraint.