Shloka 17

Śakuntalā’s Satya-Discourse and the Recognition of Bharata (शकुन्तला–सत्योपदेशः; भरतप्रतिग्रहः)

Devanagari script

स गच्छन्‌ ददृशे धीमान्‌ नन्दनप्रतिमं वनम्‌ । बिल्वार्कखदिराकीर्ण कपित्थधवसंकुलम्‌

Transliteration

sa gacchan dadṛśe dhīmān nandana-pratimaṁ vanam | bilvārka-khadirākīrṇaṁ kapittha-dhava-saṅkulam ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana berkata: Ketika baginda meneruskan perjalanan, raja yang bijaksana terlihat sebuah rimba yang indah bagaikan Nandana—padat dengan pokok bilva, arka dan khadira, serta sesak dengan kapittha dan dhava. Pemandangan itu menandai langkah baginda memasuki alam yang subur dan bertuah, yang sering mendahului pertemuan serta ujian besar dalam aliran epik.

Word by Word

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

• गच्छन्: going, while going
• गच्छन्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम्
• Form: शतृ (present active participle), Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• ददृशे: saw
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश्
• Form: Perfect (Liṭ), 3rd, Singular, Ātmanepada

• धीमान्: wise, intelligent
• धीमान्: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धीमत्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• नन्दन-प्रतिमम्: like Nandana (garden), Nandana-like
• नन्दन-प्रतिमम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नन्दन + प्रतिम
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• वनम्: forest
• वनम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: वन
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• बिल्व-अर्क-खदिर-आकीर्णम्: strewn/filled with bilva, arka, and khadira (trees)
• बिल्व-अर्क-खदिर-आकीर्णम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बिल्व + अर्क + खदिर + आकीर्ण
• Form: क्त (past passive participle of आ√कॄ/कॄ 'to scatter, strew'), Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• कपित्थ-धव-संकुलम्: dense with kapittha and dhava (trees)
• कपित्थ-धव-संकुलम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कपित्थ + धव + संकुल
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Nandana (celestial garden)
• forest (vana)
• bilva tree
• arka plant
• khadira tree
• kapittha tree
• dhava tree

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how the epic frames pivotal human actions within morally suggestive environments: a lush, Nandana-like forest signals auspiciousness and the approach of consequential encounters, reminding a ruler to carry discernment and self-restraint even amid beauty and abundance.

What is happening in the narrative?

As the king travels, he comes upon an exceptionally beautiful and tree-filled forest, compared to Indra’s Nandana garden. This description sets the scene for events that unfold in the woodland setting.