Shloka 57

Śakuntalā-Janma-Nāmakaraṇa (Birth and Naming of Śakuntalā) | शकुन्तला-जन्म-नामकरणम्

Devanagari script

उलूकान्‌ सुषुवे काकी श्येनी श्येनान्‌ व्यजायत । भासी भासानजनयद्‌ गृध्रांश्रैव जनाधिप,जनेश्वर! काकीने उल्‍लुओं और श्येनीने बाजोंको जन्म दिया; भासीने मुर्गों तथा गीधोंको उत्पन्न किया

Transliteration

vaiśampāyana uvāca |

ulūkān suṣuve kākī śyenī śyenān vyajāyata |

bhāsī bhāsān ajanayad gṛdhrāṁś caiva janādhipa, janeśvara ||

Translation

ไวศัมปายนะกล่าวว่า—อีกาเพศเมียให้กำเนิดนกเค้าแมว; เหยี่ยวเพศเมียให้กำเนิดเหยี่ยวทั้งหลาย. ส่วนภาสีให้กำเนิดนกภาสะ และยังให้กำเนิดแร้งด้วย โอ้เจ้าแห่งมนุษย์.

Word by Word

उलूकान्owls

सुषुवेgave birth (bore)

काकीthe she-crow

श्येनीthe female hawk

श्येनान्hawks

व्यजायतgave birth (bore)

भासीthe bhāsī-bird

भासान्bhāsa-birds (a kind of bird)

अजनयत्produced, gave birth to

गृध्रान्vultures

चand

एवindeed, just

जनाधिपO lord of people (king)

जनेश्वरO ruler of people

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

ulūka (owl)

kākī (she-crow)

śyenī (she-hawk)

śyena (hawk)

bhāsī (bhāsa-bird)

bhāsa (bhāsa-bird)

gṛdhra (vulture)

janādhipa/janeśvara (addressed ruler)

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse underscores a traditional idea of ordered origins: different beings arise from specific lineages, and their distinct natures are understood through their birth and kind. It functions more as etiological narration than as a direct moral injunction.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana is listing births/lineages among birds: the she-crow bears owls, the she-hawk bears hawks, and the bhāsī produces bhāsa-birds and vultures, addressing the listener as a ruler (janādhipa/janeśvara).