Shloka 75

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

Devanagari script

आरुरोह वटं तूर्णं जटा मोचयितुं तदा न च शक्नोति संच्छन्नं दृढं कपिवरेम हि

Transliteration

āruroha vaṭaṃ tūrṇaṃ jaṭā mocayituṃ tadā na ca śaknoti saṃcchannaṃ dṛḍhaṃ kapivarema hi

Translation

แล้วเขารีบปีนต้นไทรเพื่อคลายชฎา แต่ก็ทำไม่ได้ เพราะชฎานั้นพันแน่นหนาและผูกมั่นคง ราวกับชฎาของพญาวานร

Word by Word

• आरुरोह: climbed
• आरुरोह: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-रुह् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• वटम्: the banyan tree
• वटम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• तूर्णम्: quickly
• तूर्णम्: Kriya-visheshana (क्रिया-विशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तूर्णम् (अव्यय)
• Form: रीतिवाचक-अव्यय (quickly)

• जटाः: matted locks
• जटाः: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जटा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन; object intended to be released

• मोचयितुम्: to release
• मोचयितुम्: Prayojana (प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मुच् (धातु) + णिच् (causative) + तुमुन् (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: तुमुनन्त (infinitive), प्रयोजन; to loosen/release

• तदा: then
• तदा: Kala-adhikarana (काल-अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (then)

• न: not
• न: Nishedha (निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-निपात (and)

• शक्नोति: is able
• शक्नोति: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: शक् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• संच्छन्नम्: covered/hidden
• संच्छन्नम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्-छद् (धातु) + क्त (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; qualifies 'जटाः' (as a bound/covered mass)

• दृढम्: firm/tight
• दृढम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दृढ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; adjective (firm)

• कपि-वरेम: O best of monkeys (O Kapivara)
• कपि-वरेम: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कपि (प्रातिपदिक) + वर (प्रातिपदिक) + इम (प्रातिपदिक/नाम)
• Form: सम्बोधन/प्रथमा-एकवचन रूप अपेक्षित; पाठे 'कपिवरेम' सम्भवतः 'कपिवर इम' (हे कपिवर) इति सन्धिः/पाठभेद; vocative sense

• हि: indeed/for
• हि: Nipata (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphasis/indeed/for)

Speakers

• Narrator voice within the Purāṇic dialogue context (exact interlocutors not stated in the excerpt).

Key Themes

• Ascetic markers (jaṭā) and their symbolic power
• Entanglement/binding as narrative device
• Simile invoking monkey-hero imagery (kapivara)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

Why is a vaṭa (banyan) mentioned—does it have ritual significance?

Yes. In Purāṇic and tīrtha contexts, the vaṭa is a classic sacred tree associated with longevity, vows, and ascetic presence. Even when not named as a specific tīrtha, its mention evokes a sanctified setting and a place suitable for austerity or extraordinary events.

What does jaṭā signify here?

Jaṭā are the matted locks typical of ascetics and certain divine/heroic figures. In narrative episodes, they can function as a sign of tapas (austerity), a locus of power, or—when bound/entangled—a symbol of constraint that ordinary strength cannot undo.

Who is implied by kapivara (“foremost of monkeys”)?

The phrase commonly recalls Hanumān or a monkey-chief archetype. Here it works as an intensifier: the entanglement is so dense and tough that it resembles (or is as unyielding as) what one would associate with the strongest monkey-hero imagery.