Shloka 1

Duḥṣantasya Vana-praveśaḥ

King Duḥṣanta’s Entry into the Forest Hunt

Devanagari script

(दाक्षिणात्य अधिक पाठके ११३ श्लोक मिलाकर कुल ६४ ३ “लोक हैं) जा >> हु नाग त्रेषष्टितमोड्ध्याय: राजा उपरिचरका चरित्र तथा सत्यवती

Transliteration

Vaiśampāyana uvāca—rājoparicaro nāma dharmanityo mahīpatiḥ | babhūva mṛgayāṃ gantuṃ sadā kila dhṛtavrataḥ ||

Translation

Wika ni Vaiśampāyana: May isang haring tinatawag na Uparicara, isang pinunong matatag na nakatuon sa dharma. Gayunman, sinasabi ring nakagawian niyang palagiang lumabas upang mangaso. Ipinakikilala ng taludtod ang isang larawang may bigat na moral: isang haring tapat sa katuwiran ngunit may tila panatang pagkakapit sa pangangaso, na naghahanda sa pagninilay tungkol sa tungkulin ng hari, pagpipigil, at etika ng karahasan.

Word by Word

• वैशम्पायनः: Vaiśampāyana
• वैशम्पायनः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: वैशम्पायन
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• उवाच: said
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: Perfect, Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

• राजा: king
• राजा: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• उपरिचरः: Uparicara (name of a king)
• उपरिचरः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: उपरिचर
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• नाम: by name / called
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नाम

• धर्मनित्यः: ever devoted to dharma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धर्मनित्य
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• महीपतिः: lord of the earth (ruler)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महीपति
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• बभूव: became / was
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू
• Form: Perfect, Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

• मृगयाम्: hunting / chase
• मृगयाम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृगया
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• गन्तुम्: to go
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम्
• Form: Tumun (infinitive)

• सदा: always
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा

• किल: indeed / it is said
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: किल

• धृतव्रतः: one who has undertaken a vow / firm in vows
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धृतव्रत
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Uparicara (king)
• Janamejaya (implied addressee in the prose gloss)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse juxtaposes devotion to dharma with a firm commitment to hunting, inviting ethical inquiry into how a ruler’s personal habits—especially those involving harm—align (or conflict) with righteousness and self-restraint.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana begins a new episode by introducing King Uparicara: a dharma-oriented sovereign who nevertheless regularly goes to the hunt, preparing the ground for the subsequent account of his life and its consequences.