Shloka 68

Jabali Bound by the Monkey — Jabali Bound by the Monkey: Nandayanti’s Ordeal and the Yamuna–Hiranyavati Sacred Corridor

Devanagari script

दृष्ट्वा न्यग्रोधमत्युच्चं प्ररोहास्तृतदिङ्मुखम् ददर्श वृक्षशिखरे उद्बद्धमृषिपुत्रकम्

Transliteration

dṛṣṭvā nyagrodhamatyuccaṃ prarohāstṛtadiṅmukham dadarśa vṛkṣaśikhare udbaddhamṛṣiputrakam

Translation

അത്യുച്ചമായ ന്യഗ്രോധവൃക്ഷം കണ്ടപ്പോൾ, അതിന്റെ പരന്ന കൊമ്പുകൾ ദിക്കുകളെ മൂടിയിരുന്നു; അപ്പോൾ വൃക്ഷശിഖരത്തിൽ ഒരു ഋഷിപുത്രൻ തൂങ്ങി കിടക്കുന്നതു അവൻ കണ്ടു.

Speakers

• Narrative voice (Purāṇic narrator) describing what the protagonist sees; specific interlocutors not stated in the given verses.

Key Themes

• Peril of an ascetic youth
• Sacred-tree imagery in tīrtha landscapes
• Protection of the innocent
• Dharma of rescue (rakṣaṇa)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

{ "primaryRasa": "bhayanaka", "secondaryRasa": "karuna", "rasaIntensity": 0, "emotionalArcPosition": "", "moodDescriptors": [] }

FAQs

Why is the nyagrodha/vaṭa emphasized in a Purāṇic geography context?

In tīrtha literature, prominent trees (especially nyagrodha/vaṭa) function as living landmarks that anchor sacred space—places for vows, offerings, and narrative memory. The verse’s ‘covering the directions’ hyperbole marks it as a cosmically significant site-marker within the landscape.

Does udbaddha necessarily mean ‘hanged’ in the punitive sense?

Udbaddha primarily conveys ‘fastened/suspended.’ In narrative usage it can imply being tied up or hung, but the verse itself does not specify the method or motive; the next verses (latā-pāśa, ‘nooses of creepers’) clarify the binding mechanism.

What is the narrative function of identifying the victim as an ṛṣiputraka?

Calling him an ‘ascetic’s son’ heightens the adharma of the act (harm to a brahminical/ascetic lineage) and sets up a dharmic imperative for intervention, a common Purāṇic trigger for heroic protection.