Shloka 16

गुहस्य सन्देहः, गङ्गातीर-रक्षा, भरतस्य सत्कारः

Guha’s Suspicion, Securing the Ganga Bank, and Hospitality to Bharata

Devanagari script

निष्कुटश्चैव देशोऽयं वञ्चिताश्चापि ते वयम्।निवेदयामस्ते सर्वे स्वके दासकुले वस।।।।

Transliteration

niṣkuṭaś caiva deśo ’yaṃ vañcitāś cāpi te vayam |

nivedayāmas te sarve svake dāsakule vasa ||

Translation

ఈ దేశము నీ స్వంత ఉపవనమువలెనే, మేము కూడ నీకు ఆధీన సేవకులమే. మేమందరం వినయంగా నివేదించుచున్నాము—నీ దాసుని గృహములో నివసించుము.

Word by Word

• niṣkuṭaḥ: a private grove/pleasure-garden (rear enclosure)
• niṣkuṭaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: niṣkuṭa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Conjunction

• eva: indeed/just
• eva: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: Avadhāraṇa-nipāta (emphatic particle/अवधारण)

• deśaḥ: place/region
• deśaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana

• ayam: this
• ayam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana (demonstrative)

• vañcitāḥ: subordinate/subjected (lit. ‘made dependent/deceived’)
• vañcitāḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vañc (धातु) + kta (कृत्)
• Form: Kta-participle, Puṃliṅga, Prathamā, Bahuvacana (agreeing with vayam)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Conjunction

• api: also
• api: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: Particle (api = also/even)

• te: your
• te: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Ṣaṣṭhī, Ekavacana (enclitic)

• vayam: we
• vayam: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Prathamā, Bahuvacana

• nivedayāmaḥ: we submit/declare
• nivedayāmaḥ: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ni-vid (धातु) (causative/णिच्: nivedayati)
• Form: Laṭ-lakāra (Present), Uttama-puruṣa (1st person/उत्तमपुरुष), Bahuvacana; causative sense ‘to submit/announce’

• te: to you
• te: Sampradāna (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Caturthī, Ekavacana (enclitic)

• sarve: all
• sarve: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā, Bahuvacana (agreeing with vayam)

• svake: in (my/our) own
• svake: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: svaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga/Napuṃsakaliṅga, Saptamī, Ekavacana (agreeing with dāsakule; locative)

• dāsakule: in the servant’s household
• dāsakule: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dāsa (प्रातिपदिक) + kula (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa (dāsasya kulaṃ), Napuṃsakaliṅga, Saptamī, Ekavacana

• vasa: stay/dwell
• vasa: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vas (धातु)
• Form: Loṭ-lakāra (Imperative), Madhyama-puruṣa (2nd person/मध्यमपुरुष), Ekavacana

Context

This country is like a pleasuregarden at the backyard of your palace. All of us are subordinate to you and we solicit you to stay in the house of this servant of yours.

Characters & Entities

• Guha
• Bharata

FAQs

What is the core ethical principle (Dharma) in this verse?

Sevā and atithi-dharma: offering one’s own home and resources to a guest/king with sincerity and submission.

What is the narrative situation?

Guha welcomes Bharata and urges him to accept lodging and care in Guha’s settlement.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Hospitality grounded in humility—Guha presents himself as a servant, not as a rival power.