Shloka 15

ययाति-देवयानी-शर्मिष्ठा विवादः — Śukra’s Curse and the Disclosure of Lineage

Devanagari script

श्रान्तयुग्य: श्रान्तहयो मृगलिप्सु: पिपासित: । स नाहुष: प्रेक्षमाण उदपानं गतोदकम्‌,उनके रथके वाहन तथा अन्य घोड़े भी थक गये थे। वे एक हिंसक पशुको पकड़नेके लिये उसके पीछे-पीछे आये थे और प्याससे कष्ट पा रहे थे। ययाति उस जलशून्य कूपको देखने लगे

Transliteration

śrāntayugyaḥ śrāntahayo mṛgalipsuḥ pipāsitaḥ | sa nāhuṣaḥ prekṣamāṇa udapānaṃ gatodakam ||

Translation

రథాన్ని లాగే జంతువులు, గుర్రాలు అన్నీ అలసిపోయాయి. వేటను పట్టుకోవాలనే ఆశతో వెంబడిస్తూ అతడు దాహంతో బాధపడ్డాడు. చుట్టూ చూస్తూ నహుషపుత్రుడు యయాతి నీరు ఎండిపోయిన బావిని చేరాడు।

Word by Word

श्रान्तयुग्यःwhose yoke-animals were tired

श्रान्तहयःwhose horses were tired

मृगलिप्सुःdesiring to catch a deer/game

पिपासितःthirsty

सःhe

नाहुषःNahuṣa (proper name)

प्रेक्षमाणःlooking at, observing

उदपानम्a well

गत-उदकम्waterless (whose water had gone)

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Nahusha

horses (haya)

draught-animals/yoked animals (yugya)

game/wild animal (mṛga)

well (udapāna)

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 underscores human vulnerability: even a powerful king becomes dependent on basic needs like water. It also hints at the ethical tension of pursuit and desire (lipsā) leading one into hardship, setting the stage for later moral consequences in Nahusha’s story.

What is happening in the narrative?

Nahusha has been chasing game; his team and horses are exhausted and he is parched. Searching for relief, he reaches a well, only to find it dried up.