Shloka 44

कण्वोपदेशः—नश्वरबलविवेकः तथा मातलिगुणकेश्याः आख्यानारम्भः

Kaṇva’s Counsel on Impermanent Power; Opening of the Mātali–Guṇakeśī Narrative

Devanagari script

उन्मत्ताश्न विचेष्टन्ते नष्टसंज्ञा विचेतस:,इन अस्त्रोंके प्रयोगसे कुछ लोग उन्मत्त हो जाते हैं और वैसी ही चेष्टाएँ करने लगते हैं। कितनोंको सुध-बुध नहीं रह जाती, वे अचेत हो जाते हैं। कई मनुष्य सोने लगते हैं। कुछ उछलते-कूदते और छींकते हैं। कितने ही मल-मूत्र करने लग जाते हैं और कुछ लोग निरंतर रोते-हँसते रहते हैं

Transliteration

unmattāś ca viceṣṭante naṣṭasaṃjñā vicetasaḥ

Translation

उन्मत्ताश्च विचेष्टन्ते नष्टसंज्ञा विचेतसः ।

Word by Word

unmattāḥmaddened, delirious

caand

viceṣṭantethey act/behave (in various ways)

naṣṭa-saṃjñāḥhaving lost consciousness/sense

viceṭasaḥbewildered, senseless

Speaker

राम उवाच

Characters & Entities

Rāma

astra (weapons/missiles)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse underscores the grave, dehumanizing consequences of weaponry: violence does not merely wound bodies but can shatter consciousness and dignity, raising an ethical warning about the use of destructive means.

What is happening in the narrative?

Rāma describes the observable effects produced when certain astras are employed—people become delirious, lose awareness, fall asleep, convulse or behave erratically, and suffer involuntary bodily reactions—illustrating the terrifying power of such weapons.