Shloka 17

यवक्रीत-वधः

The Slaying of Yavakrīta at Raibhya’s Hermitage

Devanagari script

स काल्यमानो घोरेण शूलहस्तेन रक्षसा । अगन्निहोत्रं पितुर्भीत: सहसा प्रविवेश ह,तब हाथमें शूल लिये उस भयानक राक्षसके खदेड़नेपर यवक्रीत अत्यन्त भयभीत हो सहसा अपने पिताके अग्निहोत्रगृहमें घुसने लगा

Transliteration

sa kālyamāno ghoreṇa śūlahastena rakṣasā | agannihotraṃ pitur bhītaḥ sahasā praviveśa ha ||

Translation

ครั้นถูกยักษ์รากษสอันน่าสะพรึงถือหอกไล่ต้อน ยวครีตก็หวาดกลัวยิ่งนัก แล้วพลันพุ่งเข้าไปยังเรือนอัคนิโหตระของบิดา

Word by Word

सःhe (Yavakrīta)

काल्यमानःbeing driven/chased

घोरेणby the terrible (one)

शूलहस्तेनby (one) having a spear in hand

रक्षसाby the rākṣasa/demon

अग्निहोत्रम्the agnihotra (sacrificial fire-rite / fire-place contextually)

पितुःof (his) father

भीतःfrightened

सहसाsuddenly/quickly

प्रविवेशentered

हindeed/just (particle)

Speaker

लोगश उवाच

Characters & Entities

Yavakrīta

Rākṣasa

Śūla (spear)

Agnihotra-gṛha (father’s fire-ritual house)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how fear exposes human vulnerability and how one instinctively seeks refuge; ethically, it points to the broader Mahābhārata theme that earlier conduct and lack of restraint can culminate in crisis, where even sacred spaces become places of desperate shelter rather than calm practice.

What is happening in the narrative?

A spear-armed, terrifying rākṣasa is chasing Yavakrīta. In panic, Yavakrīta abruptly runs into his father’s Agnihotra-house (the place associated with the daily fire-offering), seeking immediate protection.