Shloka 1

Duḥṣantasya Vana-praveśaḥ

King Duḥṣanta’s Entry into the Forest Hunt

Devanagari script

(दाक्षिणात्य अधिक पाठके ११३ श्लोक मिलाकर कुल ६४ ३ “लोक हैं) जा >> हु नाग त्रेषष्टितमोड्ध्याय: राजा उपरिचरका चरित्र तथा सत्यवती

Transliteration

Vaiśampāyana uvāca—rājoparicaro nāma dharmanityo mahīpatiḥ | babhūva mṛgayāṃ gantuṃ sadā kila dhṛtavrataḥ ||

Translation

వైశంపాయనుడు పలికెను—జనమేజయా! ఉపరిచరుడని పేరుగాంచిన ఒక రాజు ఉండెను; అతడు నిత్యము ధర్మనిష్ఠుడై యుండెను. అయితే మృగయ (వేట)కు సదా వెళ్లుట అతని దృఢవ్రతమని చెప్పబడెను।

Word by Word

• वैशम्पायनः: Vaiśampāyana
• वैशम्पायनः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: वैशम्पायन
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• उवाच: said
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: Perfect, Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

• राजा: king
• राजा: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• उपरिचरः: Uparicara (name of a king)
• उपरिचरः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: उपरिचर
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• नाम: by name / called
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नाम

• धर्मनित्यः: ever devoted to dharma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धर्मनित्य
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• महीपतिः: lord of the earth (ruler)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महीपति
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• बभूव: became / was
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू
• Form: Perfect, Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

• मृगयाम्: hunting / chase
• मृगयाम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृगया
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• गन्तुम्: to go
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम्
• Form: Tumun (infinitive)

• सदा: always
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा

• किल: indeed / it is said
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: किल

• धृतव्रतः: one who has undertaken a vow / firm in vows
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धृतव्रत
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Uparicara (king)
• Janamejaya (implied addressee in the prose gloss)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse juxtaposes devotion to dharma with a firm commitment to hunting, inviting ethical inquiry into how a ruler’s personal habits—especially those involving harm—align (or conflict) with righteousness and self-restraint.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana begins a new episode by introducing King Uparicara: a dharma-oriented sovereign who nevertheless regularly goes to the hunt, preparing the ground for the subsequent account of his life and its consequences.