Shloka 15

Devanagari script

देवयान्युवाच केनास्यर्थेन नृपते इमं देशमुपागत: । जिधघृक्षुर्वारिजं किंचिदथवा मृगलिप्सया,देवयानीने पूछा--महाराज! आप किस कार्यसे वनके इस प्रदेशमें आये हैं? आप जल अथवा कमल लेना चाहते हैं या शिकारकी इच्छासे ही आये हैं?

Transliteration

devayāny uvāca kenāsyārthena nṛpate imaṁ deśam upāgataḥ | jighṛkṣur vārijaṁ kiñcid athavā mṛga-lipsayā ||

Translation

ଦେବୟାନୀ ପଚାରିଲେ— ହେ ନୃପତି! କେଉଁ କାର୍ଯ୍ୟରେ ଆପଣ ଅରଣ୍ୟର ଏହି ଦେଶକୁ ଆସିଛନ୍ତି? ଜଳ ନେବାକୁ, କିମ୍ବା କିଛି ପଦ୍ମ ତୋଳିବାକୁ, ନା ଶିକାର ଇଚ୍ଛାରେ?

Word by Word

देवयानीDevayānī

उवाचsaid

केनby what (means/for what reason)

अस्यof this

अर्थेनwith what purpose

नृपतेO king

इमम्this

देशम्place/region

उपागतःhas come/arrived

जिघृक्षुःwishing to take

वारिwater

जम्born (in)

किंचित्something/a little

अथवाor else

मृगdeer/game

लिप्सयाwith desire (to obtain)

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Devayānī

nṛpati (the king, i.e., Yayāti in context)

forest (vana)

this region/place (deśa)

lotus (vārija)

water

game/animals (mṛga)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse foregrounds the ethical importance of intention: before judging an action (entering the forest), one should ask its purpose—whether it is a harmless need (water/lotus) or a potentially harmful impulse (hunting).

What is happening in the narrative?

Devayānī addresses a king who has arrived in a forest region and asks why he has come—whether to collect water or lotus, or to hunt—setting up the circumstances for their ensuing interaction.