Shloka 70

Jabali Bound by the Monkey — Jabali Bound by the Monkey: Nandayanti’s Ordeal and the Yamuna–Hiranyavati Sacred Corridor

Devanagari script

धनुरादाय बलवानधिज्यं स चकार ह लाघवादृषिपुत्रं तं रक्षंश्चिच्छेदमार्गणैः

Transliteration

dhanurādāya balavānadhijyaṃ sa cakāra ha lāghavādṛṣiputraṃ taṃ rakṣaṃścicchedamārgaṇaiḥ

Translation

ధనుస్సును తీసుకొని ఆ బలవంతుడు వేగంగా దానికి జ్యా ఎక్కించాడు; మునిపుత్రుని కాపాడుతూ బాణాలతో ఆ రాక్షసుని ఛేదించాడు।

Speakers

• Narrative voice (Purāṇic narrator) describing the protagonist’s action; interlocutors not stated in the given verses.

Key Themes

• Dharma of protection (rakṣaṇa)
• Kṣātra valor in service of ascetics
• Defeat of rākṣasa forces
• Restoration of order at a sacred site

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

{ "primaryRasa": "vira", "secondaryRasa": "raudra", "rasaIntensity": 0, "emotionalArcPosition": "", "moodDescriptors": [] }

FAQs

What does ‘adhijya’ add to the scene?

Adhijya indicates the bow is fully strung and combat-ready, a technical martial detail that signals immediacy and competence—he is not merely threatening but executing decisive protection.

Is the killing of the rākṣasa framed as dharmic?

Yes. The participle ‘rakṣan’ (‘while protecting’) explicitly frames the violence as defensive and duty-bound—kṣātra force used to safeguard an innocent ascetic youth, aligning with Purāṇic dharma ethics.

How does this episode serve a tīrtha-māhātmya purpose if no tīrtha name appears in these verses?

Tīrtha-māhātmyas often embed local legends of danger and deliverance to sacralize a place. Even without a named river or shrine in these lines, the sacred-tree locus and the rescue narrative function as aetiology—explaining why the spot is remembered, revered, or ritually significant in the broader chapter context.