Shloka 9
निचिक्षेप क्षितौ राजन् परिश्रान्तो बुभुक्षित: । तस्य काष्ठे विलग्नाभूज्जटा रूप्यसमप्रभा
nicikṣepa kṣitau rājan pariśrānto bubhukṣitaḥ | tasya kāṣṭhe vilagnābhūj jaṭā rūpyasamaprabhā ||
Vaiśampāyana berkata: “Wahai raja, dalam keletihan dan kelaparan, dia merebahkan dirinya ke tanah. Dan pada sebatang kayu di sisinya, tersangkut segumpal rambut gimbal (jaṭā) yang berkilau dengan sinar seumpama perak.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse foregrounds bodily limitation—fatigue and hunger—reminding that even in grand royal narratives, human vulnerability persists. The striking image of a silver-bright jaṭā clinging to wood suggests that moments of weakness can coincide with meaningful signs, prompting attentiveness and discernment rather than pride or haste.
Vaiśampāyana narrates that a person, overcome by exhaustion and hunger, collapses onto the ground. At that moment, a silver-lustrous matted lock of hair becomes caught on a piece of wood, an unusual detail that functions as a notable narrative marker (often read as a clue, token, or portent) for what follows.