Shloka 23

Adhyaya 74 — King Svarashtra, the Deer-Queen’s Curse, and the Rise of Tamasa Manu

Sanskrit

मृग्युवाच अहं पितृगृहे बाला सखीभिः सहिता वनम् । रन्तुं गता ददर्शैकं मृगं मृग्या समागतम् ॥

Transliteration

mṛgy uvāca ahaṃ pitṛgṛhe bālā sakhībhiḥ sahitā vanam / rantuṃ gatā dadarśaikaṃ mṛgaṃ mṛgyā samāgatam

Translation

మృగీ చెప్పింది—నేను తండ్రి ఇంటిలో యౌవనంలో ఉన్నప్పుడు, సఖులతో కలిసి ఆట కోసం అడవికి వెళ్లాను. అక్కడ ఒక మృగం ఒక మృగీతో సంయుక్తమై ఉండటం చూశాను.

Word by Word

• mṛgī: the doe
• mṛgī: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mṛgī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Prathamā (प्रथमा/1st), Ekavacana (एकवचन)

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: Liṭ-lakāra (लिट्/perfect), Prathama-puruṣa (प्रथम/3rd), Ekavacana (एकवचन), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद)

• aham: I
• aham: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Sarvanāma (सर्वनाम), Prathamā (प्रथमा/1st), Ekavacana (एकवचन)

• pitṛ-gṛhe: in (my) father’s house
• pitṛ-gṛhe: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pitṛ (प्रातिपदिक) + gṛha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: ‘father’s’ + ‘house’); Napuṃsakalिङ्ग (नपुंसक), Saptamī (सप्तमी/7th), Ekavacana (एकवचन)

• bālā: a young girl
• bālā: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bālā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Prathamā (प्रथमा/1st), Ekavacana (एकवचन)

• sakhībhiḥ: with (my) friends
• sakhībhiḥ: Sahakāraka (सह/सहकारक)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sakhī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Tṛtīyā (तृतीया/3rd), Bahuvacana (बहुवचन)

• sahitā: accompanied
• sahitā: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sahita (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Prathamā (प्रथमा/1st), Ekavacana (एकवचन); agrees with bālā/aham

• vanam: forest
• vanam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napuṃsakalिङ्ग (नपुंसक), Dvitīyā (द्वितीया/2nd), Ekavacana (एकवचन)

• rantum: to play/enjoy
• rantum: Prayojana (प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ram (धातु)
• Form: Tumun-anta infinitive (तुमुन्/infinitive), purpose (प्रयोजन)

• gatā: having gone
• gatā: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: gam (धातु)
• Form: Kṛdanta; Kta-pratyaya (क्त/PPP), Strīliṅga (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Prathamā (प्रथमा/1st), Ekavacana (एकवचन)

• dadarśa: saw
• dadarśa: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dṛś (धातु)
• Form: Liṭ-lakāra (लिट्/perfect), Prathama-puruṣa (प्रथम/3rd), Ekavacana (एकवचन), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद)

• ekam: one
• ekam: Karma-viśeṣaṇa (कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: eka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga (पुंलिङ्ग), Dvitīyā (द्वितीया/2nd), Ekavacana (एकवचन); agrees with mṛgam

• mṛgam: a deer
• mṛgam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mṛga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga (पुंलिङ्ग), Dvitīyā (द्वितीया/2nd), Ekavacana (एकवचन)

• mṛgyā: with a doe / by a doe
• mṛgyā: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mṛgī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Tṛtīyā (तृतीया/3rd), Ekavacana (एकवचन); instrumental of agent/association

• samāgatam: come together/arrived (with)
• samāgatam: Karma-viśeṣaṇa (कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam + ā + gam (धातु)
• Form: Kṛdanta; Kta-pratyaya (क्त/PPP), Puṃliṅga (पुंलिङ्ग), Dvitīyā (द्वितीया/2nd), Ekavacana (एकवचन); agrees with mṛgam

Speakers

• Doe narrating her past to the king

Verse Rasa

{ "primaryRasa": "shanta", "secondaryRasa": "adbhuta", "rasaIntensity": 0, "emotionalArcPosition": "", "moodDescriptors": [] }

Key Themes

• Narrative of wrongdoing
• Youthful indiscretion
• Consequences of disturbing living beings

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

The scene frames harm as arising from heedlessness: casual amusement can lead to serious ethical breach when it disrupts the life-process of others.

How does this fit the Pancalakṣaṇa (5 characteristics)?

Upākhyāna (illustrative moral tale) rather than the five formal characteristics; it functions as dharma-teaching through story.

What is the esoteric significance?

The forest encounter symbolizes the liminal zone where untrained impulses meet natural law; interference there triggers ‘return’ in kind—rebirth into the very species disturbed.