Shloka 20

Devanagari script

मृगप्रेप्सुर्महारौद्रे वने चरति निर्भय: स तत्र मनुजव्याप्रो वने वनचरोपम:

Transliteration

mṛgaprepsur mahāraudre vane carati nirbhayaḥ | sa tatra manujavyāpro vane vanacaropamaḥ ||

Translation

வைசம்பாயனர் கூறினார்— மான் வேட்டையாசையுடன் அவன் அந்த மிகக் கொடூரமான காட்டில் அஞ்சாது உலாவினான்; அங்கே அந்த மனிதப் புலி, காட்டில் ஒரு வனவாசி போலச் சுற்றினான்.

Word by Word

मृगप्रेप्सुःdesirous of deer (seeking deer)

महारौद्रेin the very dreadful (place)

वनेin the forest

चरतिwanders/moves about

निर्भयःfearless

सःhe

तत्रthere

मनुजव्याप्रःintent on men / preying on humans

वनेin the forest

वनचर-उपमःlike a forest-dweller

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

forest (vana)

deer (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 highlights fearlessness and determined effort in a threatening environment, while implicitly raising an ethical contrast between inner resolve and the potentially desire-driven aim of hunting—inviting reflection on self-mastery and the motives behind one’s actions.

What is happening in the narrative?

The narrator describes a man roaming a terrifying forest, eager to catch deer. He moves without fear and appears like a natural forest-dweller, emphasizing his immersion in the wilderness and his focused pursuit.