Shloka 27

ययाति-देवयानी-शर्मिष्ठा विवादः — Śukra’s Curse and the Disclosure of Lineage

Devanagari script

दृष्टवा काव्यमुवाचेदं सम्भ्रमाविष्टचेतना । आचचक्षे महाप्राज्ञं देवयानीं वने हताम्‌

Transliteration

dṛṣṭvā kāvyam uvācedaṃ sambhramāviṣṭa-cetanā | ācacakṣe mahāprājñaṃ devayānīṃ vane hatām ||

Translation

କାବ୍ୟଙ୍କୁ (ଶୁକ୍ରାଚାର୍ଯ୍ୟଙ୍କୁ) ଦେଖି, ସମ୍ଭ୍ରମରେ ଆବିଷ୍ଟ ଚିତ୍ତ ହୋଇ ସେ ଏହି କଥା କହିଲା। ସେ ମହାପ୍ରାଜ୍ଞଙ୍କୁ ଜଣାଇଲା—“ଦେବୟାନୀ ବନରେ ହତ ହୋଇଛି।”

Word by Word

दृष्ट्वाhaving seen

काव्यम्a poem/verse

उवाचsaid/spoke

इदम्this

सम्भ्रमाविष्टचेतनाwhose mind was seized by agitation/confusion

आचचक्षेtold/related

महाप्राज्ञम्to the very wise (man)

देवयानीम्Devayānī

वनेin the forest

हताम्killed/slain

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Devayānī

vana (forest)

mahāprājña (a very wise person, unnamed here)

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 the ethical rupture caused by unjust violence: the mind’s agitation reflects how adharma (wrongdoing) naturally provokes alarm and moral disquiet, especially when harm occurs in a setting associated with safety (the forest as refuge in many narratives).

What is happening in the narrative?

A speaker, overwhelmed with alarm after witnessing a distressing situation, reports to a very wise person that Devayānī has been killed in the forest, setting up a consequential response to the reported wrongdoing.