Shloka 2

Devanagari script

न शशाक यदा बाला प्रत्याख्यातुं तमोनुदम्‌ । भीता शापात्‌ ततो राजन्‌ दध्यौ दीर्घमथान्तरम्‌,राजन्‌! जब वह बाला अन्धकारनाशक भगवान्‌ सूर्यदेवको टाल न सकी, तब शापसे भयभीत हो दीर्घकालतक मन-ही-मन कुछ सोचने लगी

Transliteration

na śaśāka yadā bālā pratyākhyātuṃ tamonudam | bhītā śāpāt tato rājan dadhyau dīrgham athāntaram ||

Translation

Вайшампаяна сказал: Когда юная дева не смогла отвергнуть Разгоняющего тьму, бога Солнца, тогда, о царь, устрашившись проклятия, она долго размышляла про себя, вновь и вновь переворачивая дело в уме. Этот отрывок подчёркивает нравственное напряжение между страхом божественной кары и личной волей перед лицом подавляющего божественного приближения.

Word by Word

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• शशाक: was able
• Type: Verb
• Root: शक्
• Form: Perfect (Liṭ), 3, singular, Parasmaipada

• यदा: when
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदा

• बाला: the girl/maiden
• बाला: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: बाल
• Form: feminine, nominative, singular

• प्रत्याख्यातुम्: to refuse/repel
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्रति-आ-ख्या
• Form: tumun (infinitive)

• तमोनुदम्: the dispeller of darkness (Sun)
• तमोनुदम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: तमस्-नुद
• Form: masculine, accusative, singular

• भीता: frightened
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भी
• Form: kta (past passive participle), feminine, nominative, singular

• शापात्: from/through fear of a curse
• शापात्: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: शाप
• Form: masculine, ablative, singular

• ततः: then/thereupon
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः

• राजन्: O king
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन्
• Form: masculine, vocative, singular

• दध्यौ: she pondered
• Type: Verb
• Root: ध्यै
• Form: Perfect (Liṭ), 3, singular, Parasmaipada

• दीर्घम्: for a long time/long
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दीर्घ
• Form: neuter, accusative, singular

• अथ: then/and now
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ

• अन्तरम्: an inner thought/plan; inwardly
• अन्तरम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्तर
• Form: neuter, accusative, singular

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśaṃpāyana
• Sūrya (Sun-god)
• rājan (the king addressed, i.e., Janamejaya)
• bālā (the maiden)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights ethical pressure created by fear of divine punishment: when confronted by overwhelming authority, a person may hesitate and deliberate rather than act freely. It invites reflection on dharma as inner discernment (manasika-vicāra) amid coercive circumstances.

What is happening in the narrative?

A young maiden is unable to refuse the Sun-god (called ‘tamonuda’, dispeller of darkness). Afraid that refusal might bring a curse, she remains inwardly conflicted and thinks for a long time about what to do next.