Shloka 32

Duḥṣanta at Kaṇva-Āśrama; Śakuntalā’s Reception and Origin Prelude (दुःषन्तस्य कण्वाश्रमागमनम्)

Devanagari script

क्रूरस्वभावं क्रूराया: पुत्रपौत्रमनन्तकम्‌ | गण: क्रोधवशो नाम क्रूरकर्मारिमर्दन:,क्रूरा (क्रोधा)-के क्रूर स्वभाववाले असंख्य पुत्र-पौत्र उत्पन्न हुए। शत्रुओंका नाश करनेवाला क्रूरकर्मा क्रोधवश नामक गण भी क्रूराकी ही संतान हैं

Transliteration

vaiśampāyana uvāca | krūrasvabhāvaṃ krūrāyāḥ putrapautram anantakam | gaṇaḥ krodhavaśo nāma krūrakarmārimardanaḥ ||

Translation

ବୈଶମ୍ପାୟନ କହିଲେ— କ୍ରୂରା (କ୍ରୋଧା) ଠାରୁ କ୍ରୂର ସ୍ୱଭାବର ଅସଂଖ୍ୟ ପୁତ୍ର-ପୌତ୍ର ଜନ୍ମିଲେ। ଶତ୍ରୁମର୍ଦ୍ଦନରେ ପ୍ରସିଦ୍ଧ, କ୍ରୂରକର୍ମୀ ‘କ୍ରୋଧବଶ’ ନାମକ ଗଣ ମଧ୍ୟ କ୍ରୂରାର ସନ୍ତାନ ଥିଲା।

Word by Word

क्रूरस्वभावम्of cruel nature

क्रूरायाःof Krūrā

पुत्रपौत्रम्sons and grandsons (offspring)

अनन्तकम्countless

गणःa troop/group

क्रोधवशःunder the sway of anger

नामnamed/called

क्रूरकर्माone of cruel deeds

अरिमर्दनःcrusher of enemies

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Krūrā

Krodhavaśa (gaṇa)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse underscores an ethical causality: when cruelty and anger dominate one’s nature (svabhāva), they tend to reproduce socially and generationally—forming ‘hosts’ of harmful conduct. It implicitly warns that unchecked krodha becomes a governing force that shapes actions and communities.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana continues a genealogical-cosmological account, describing Krūrā’s progeny as innumerable and cruel by disposition, and naming among them a specific troop called Krodhavaśa, characterized as fierce actors and destroyers of enemies.