Shloka 77

Devanagari script

केचित्‌ पुरवराकारा: केचिद्‌ गजकुलोपमा: । केचिदञ्जनसंकाशा: केचिन्मकरसंनिभा:,कुछ श्रेष्ठ नगरोंके समान, कुछ हाथियोंके झुंड-जैसे, कुछ काजलके रंगवाले और कुछ मगरोंकी-सी आकृतिवाले होते हैं

Transliteration

kecit puravarākārāḥ kecid gajakūlopamāḥ | kecid añjanasaṅkāśāḥ kecin makarasaṃnibhāḥ ||

Translation

Вайшампаяна сказал: «Одни были по виду как прекрасные города, другие — как стада слонов. Одни чернели, как анджана (сурьма), а другие по очертаниям напоминали макару — словно крокодила».

Word by Word

केचित्some

पुरवराकाराःhaving the form of excellent cities

केचित्some

गजकुलोपमाःlike herds of elephants

केचित्some

अञ्जनसंकाशाःdark/black like collyrium (kohl)

केचित्some

मकरसंनिभाःresembling crocodiles/makaras

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

puravara (excellent cities)

gaja (elephants)

añjana (collyrium)

makara (crocodile/sea-creature)

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 highlights the vast diversity and unpredictability of the forest world: appearances vary greatly, and one must meet the unknown with alertness and discernment rather than assumptions.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana is describing a group of beings/figures encountered or spoken of in the forest context, emphasizing their varied and extraordinary forms by comparing them to cities, elephant herds, dark collyrium, and crocodiles.