Shloka 19

खाण्डवदाहोत्तर-वरप्रदानम्

Boons after the Khāṇḍava Burning

Devanagari script

ततो$क्षमात्रा व्यसूजन्‌ धारा: शतसहसख्रश: । चोदिता देवराजेन जलदा: खाण्डवं प्रति,देवराज इन्द्रसे प्रेरित होकर मेघ रथके धुरेके समान मोटी-मोटी असंख्य धाराएँ खाण्डववनमें गिराने लगे

Transliteration

tato 'kṣamātrā vyasūjan dhārāḥ śata-sahasraśaḥ | coditā devarājena jaladāḥ khāṇḍavaṃ prati ||

Translation

แล้วเมื่อถูกเร้าโดยราชาแห่งเทวะ เมฆทั้งหลายก็ปล่อยสายน้ำเหลือคณา—หนาดุจเพลารถศึก—ถาโถมลงสู่ป่าขาณฑวะ

Word by Word

ततःthen, thereafter

अक्षमात्राःof axle-measure (as thick as an axle)

व्यसूजन्they released, poured forth

धाराःstreams (of rain)

शतसहस्रशःby hundreds and thousands; in countless numbers

चोदिताःimpelled, urged

देवराजेनby the king of the gods (Indra)

जलदाःclouds

खाण्डवम्Khāṇḍava (forest)

प्रतिtowards, against

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Devarāja (Indra)

Jaladāḥ (clouds)

Khāṇḍava (forest)

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how even divine forces enter into contest when larger destinies unfold: power is used to protect and to obstruct, and nature itself becomes an instrument of competing purposes. It invites reflection on dharma as complex—where protection of life, fulfillment of vows, and cosmic necessity can collide.

What is happening in the narrative?

Indra, the lord of the gods, urges the clouds to unleash extremely thick, innumerable rain-streams upon the Khāṇḍava forest, attempting to counter what is happening there (the forest’s burning) by drenching it with torrential rainfall.