Shloka 20

Devanagari script

तत्परा शुचिसंवीता पावके समधिश्रयत्‌ । अपचदू राजशार्दूल बदराणि महाव्रता,राजन! तदनन्तर शौचाचारसे सम्पन्न उस तपस्विनीने थकावटसे रहित हो मौनभावसे उन फलोंको आगपर चढ़ा दिया। नृपश्रेष्ठ! फिर वह महाव्रता कुमारी बड़ी तत्परताके साथ उन बेरके फलोंको पकाने लगी

Transliteration

tatparā śucisaṃvītā pāvake samadhiśrayat | apacadū rājaśārdūla badarāṇi mahāvratā ||

Translation

वैशंपायन म्हणाले—राजशार्दूल! शुचितेने आवृत व कार्यात तत्पर अशी ती महाव्रता कन्या मौनभावाने फळे अग्नीवर ठेवून गेली. नृपश्रेष्ठ! त्यानंतर ती मोठ्या चिकाटीने बोरांची फळे शिजवू लागली.

Word by Word

तत्पराintent on that, devoted

शुचि-संवीताclad in purity/clean garments

पावकेin/onto the fire

समधिश्रयत्placed upon, set on

अपचत्cooked

राजशार्दूलO tiger among kings

बदराणिjujube fruits (ber)

महाव्रताof great vow, very austere

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

pāvaka (Agni/fire)

badara (jujube/ber fruits)

mahāvratā kanyā (vowed maiden/ascetic girl)

rājaśārdūla (addressed king)

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 śauca (cleanliness/purity) and disciplined action: even a simple act like preparing food is performed with restraint, silence, and conscientious purity, reflecting dharmic conduct.

What is happening in the narrative?

A vowed maiden, maintaining purity and focus, places jujube fruits on the fire and cooks them diligently; the narrator addresses the king with the epithet ‘tiger among kings’ while describing her disciplined preparation.