Shloka 74

Duḥṣantasya Vana-praveśaḥ

King Duḥṣanta’s Entry into the Forest Hunt

Devanagari script

येन देश: स सर्वस्तु तमोभूत इवाभवत्‌ । दृष्टवा सृष्ट तु नीहारं ततस्तं परमर्षिणा

Transliteration

yena deśaḥ sa sarvas tu tamobhūta ivābhavat | dṛṣṭvā sṛṣṭaṃ tu nīhāraṃ tatas taṃ paramarṣiṇā ||

Translation

Вайшампаяна сказал: Оттого вся местность показалась словно погружённой во тьму. Затем, увидев туман, сотворённый великим мудрецом, они поняли причину внезапного помрачения.

Word by Word

येनby which/whereby

देशःregion, place

सःthat/he

सर्वःentire, whole

तुbut/indeed

तमोभूतःbecome dark, turned into darkness

इवas if

अभवत्became, was

दृष्ट्वाhaving seen

सृष्टम्created, produced

तुbut/indeed

नीहारम्mist, fog

ततःthen, thereafter

तम्him/that

परमर्षिणाby the supreme sage

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśaṃpāyana

paramarṣi (great sage)

deśa (the region)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the perceived potency of a great sage’s tapas: when a ṛṣi acts, nature itself seems to respond. Ethically, it reinforces reverence and caution toward spiritual power and the unseen consequences of actions.

What is happening in the narrative?

A sudden darkness spreads over the whole area. The onlookers then realize it is due to a mist that has been produced by a great sage, explaining the ominous change in the environment.