Shloka 13

मरुत्तोपाख्यान-प्रस्तावः — Genealogy to Marutta and the Logistics of Royal Sacrifice

Devanagari script

स पीड्यमानो बहुभि: क्षीणकोशाश्ववाहन: । आर्तिमार्च्छत्‌ परां राजा सह भृत्यै: पुरेण च,उनका कोष और घोड़े आदि वाहन तो नष्ट हो ही गये थे। बहुसंख्यक शत्रुओंने एक साथ धावा करके उन्हें सताना आरम्भ कर दिया। इससे राजा सुवर्चा अपने सेवकों और पुरवासियोंसहित भारी संकटमें पड़ गये

Transliteration

sa pīḍyamāno bahubhiḥ kṣīṇakośāśvavāhanaḥ | ārtim ārcchat parāṃ rājā saha bhṛtyaiḥ pureṇa ca ||

Translation

కోశమూ అశ్వవాహనాదులూ క్షీణించిన తరువాత, అనేక శత్రువుల చేత ఒకేసారి పీడింపబడిన ఆ రాజు తన సేవకులతోను నగరవాసులతోను కలిసి పరమ ఆర్తిలో పడెను.

Word by Word

सःhe

पीड्यमानःbeing tormented/pressed

बहुभिःby many (persons)

क्षीण-कोश-अश्व-वाहनःwhose treasury, horses, and vehicles were depleted/destroyed

आर्तिम्distress, calamity

आर्च्छत्reached/entered (fell into)

पराम्great, extreme

राजाthe king

सहtogether with

भृत्यैःwith servants/retainers

पुरेणwith the city (i.e., townspeople)

चand

Speaker

व्यास उवाच

Characters & Entities

rājā (the king)

bhṛtyāḥ (retainers/servants)

puram / pureṇa (the city and its people)

kośa (treasury)

aśvāḥ (horses)

vāhanāni (vehicles/conveyances)

bahavaḥ (many foes/enemies—implicit)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

A ruler’s depletion of resources and defenses in the face of many aggressors leads to severe distress not only for himself but also for his dependents and citizens, emphasizing the ethical burden of governance and the communal impact of political weakness.

What is happening in the narrative?

The king, overwhelmed by numerous enemies and having lost wealth and transport (horses and vehicles), is driven into extreme calamity along with his attendants and the inhabitants of his city.