Shloka 6

Devanagari script

न शशाक स निर्गन्तुं निरुद्धो<र्जुनपत्रिभि: । मोक्षयामास त॑ माता निगीर्य भुजगात्मजा,किंतु अर्जुनके बाणोंसे रँध जानेके कारण वह बाहर निकल न सका। उसकी माता सर्पिणीने उसे निगलकर उस आगसे बचाया

Transliteration

na śaśāka sa nirgantuṃ niruddho 'rjunapatribhiḥ | mokṣayāmāsa taṃ mātā nigīrya bhujagātmajā ||

Translation

వైశంపాయనుడు పలికెను— అర్జునుని బాణములచేత నిరోధింపబడినవాడై అతడు బయటకు రాలేకపోయెను. అప్పుడు భుజగాత్మజ అయిన అతని తల్లి నాగిని అతనిని మింగి రక్షించి విముక్తి కలిగించెను.

Word by Word

नnot

शशाकwas able

सःhe

निर्गन्तुम्to go out / to escape

निरुद्धःblocked, restrained

अर्जुनपत्रिभिःby Arjuna's arrows

मोक्षयामासreleased / caused to be freed

तम्him

माताmother

निगीर्यhaving swallowed

भुजगात्मजाthe serpent-daughter (female born of a serpent)

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Arjuna

Arrows (patriṇ)

Serpent-mother (nāgī / bhujagātmajā)

Her offspring (the one swallowed/rescued)

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?

Even amid conflict and displays of martial power, dharma can appear as protection rather than retaliation: the mother safeguards her child through a non-aggressive act, emphasizing responsibility and care as ethical strengths.

What is happening in the narrative?

Someone is unable to escape because Arjuna’s arrows have blocked him in. His mother, described as a serpent-woman, rescues him by swallowing him—shielding him from the immediate danger and enabling his survival.