Shloka 21

Devanagari script

खद्योतवदभिज्ञातं तनन्‍्मया विद्धमन्तिकात्‌ । एतच्छुत्वा तु वल्मीकं शर्यातिस्तूर्णम भ्ययात्‌,“आप अपनी रुचिके अनुसार सभी उपायोंद्वारा इसका पता लगावें।” तब राजा शर्यातिने साम और उग्रनीतिके द्वारा सभी सुहृदोंसे पूछा; परंतु वे भी इसका पता न लगा सके। तदनन्तर सुकन्याने सारी सेनाको मलावरोधके कारण दुःखसे पीड़ित और पिताको भी चिन्तित देख इस प्रकार कहा--“तात! मैंने इस वनमें घूमते समय एक बाँबीके भीतर कोई चमकीली वस्तु देखी, जो जुगनूके समान जान पड़ती थी। उसके निकट जाकर मैंने उसे काँटेसे बींध दिया।” यह सुनकर शर्याति तुरंत ही बाँबीके पास गये। वहाँ उन्होंने तपस्यामें बढ़े-चढ़े वयोवृद्ध महात्मा च्यवनको देखा और हाथ जोड़कर अपने सैनिकोंका कष्ट निवारण करनेके लिये याचना की--

Transliteration

khadyotavad abhijñātaṃ tan mayā viddham antikāt | etac chrutvā tu valmīkaṃ śaryātis tūrṇam abhyayāt ||

Translation

Sinabi ni Sukanyā: “Napansin kong kumikislap ito na parang alitaptap, at mula sa malapitan ay tinusok ko.” Nang marinig ito, dali-daling nagtungo si Haring Śaryāti sa bunton ng langgam. Ipinapakita ng sandaling ito na ang munting pagkilos na pabaya—kahit dahil sa kamangmangan—ay maaaring magbunga ng mabigat na kapinsalaan, at ang pinuno ay dapat tumugon nang mabilis at may pananagutan upang maibsan ang pagdurusa at maibalik ang kaayusang moral.

Word by Word

खद्योतवत्like a firefly

अभिज्ञातम्was perceived/recognized

तत्that (thing)

मयाby me

विद्धम्pierced

अन्तिकात्from near (it)/at close range

एतत्this (statement/thing)

श्रुत्वाhaving heard

तुbut/then

वल्मीकम्the anthill

शर्यातिःKing Śaryāti

तूर्णम्quickly

अभ्ययात्went up/approached

Speaker

लोगश उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sukanyā

Śaryāti

valmīka (anthill)

khadyota (firefly)

thorn/spike (implied instrument of piercing)

Cyavana (contextual figure revealed at the anthill in the surrounding passage)

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?

Actions done in ignorance can still cause harm and demand responsibility. The episode highlights vigilance, humility before ascetic power, and the ruler’s duty to act promptly to relieve collective suffering and seek a righteous remedy.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sukanyā reports that she saw a firefly-like gleam inside an anthill and pierced it from close range. On hearing this, King Śaryāti rushes to the anthill—leading to the discovery that the ‘gleam’ was connected to the sage Cyavana, whose distress results in affliction for the king’s camp until amends are sought.