Shloka 8

सोमक–जन्तु उपाख्यानम्

Somaka–Jantu Exemplar: The Quest for a Hundred Sons

Devanagari script

तमार्तनादं सहसा शुआ्राव स महीपति: । अमात्यपर्षदो मध्ये उपविष्ट: सहर्त्विजा

Transliteration

tam ārtanādaṃ sahasā śuśrāva sa mahīpatiḥ | amātyaparṣado madhye upaviṣṭaḥ sahartvijā ||

Translation

तो आर्तनाद राजाने सहसा ऐकला. त्या वेळी तो ऋत्विजांसह मंत्र्यांच्या व सभेच्या मध्यभागी बसला होता.

Word by Word

• तम्: that (sound)
• तम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• आर्तनादम्: cry of distress
• आर्तनादम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: आर्तनाद
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• सहसा: suddenly
• सहसा: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सहसा

• शुश्राव: heard
• शुश्राव: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु
• Form: Perfect (Liṭ), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• सः: he
• सः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• महीपतिः: king (lord of the earth)
• महीपतिः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: महीपति
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• अमात्यपर्षदः: of the council of ministers
• अमात्यपर्षदः: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: अमात्यपर्षद्
• Form: Feminine, Genitive, Singular

• मध्ये: in the midst
• मध्ये: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: मध्य
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• उपविष्टः: seated
• उपविष्टः: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप-विश्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular, क्त (past passive participle)

• सह: together with
• सह: Karana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सह

• ऋत्विजा: with the priest
• ऋत्विजा: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋत्विज्
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

Speaker

लोगश उवाच

Characters & Entities

• mahīpati (the king)
• amātya (ministers)
• parṣad (royal council/assembly)
• ṛtvij (officiating priests)
• ārtanāda (cry of distress)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

A ruler’s dharma includes attentive responsiveness to suffering. The verse highlights that even amid formal governance—surrounded by ministers, council, and priests—the king must not be insulated from distress; public duty requires hearing and acting.

What is happening in the narrative?

A sudden cry of distress is raised, and the king hears it immediately while seated in a formal royal setting with advisers and priests. This sets up an imminent inquiry or intervention by the king in response to the crisis.