Shloka 21

Nahūṣa as Ajagara: Virtue Hierarchy, Karmic Gati, and the Psychology of Mind–Intellect

Devanagari script

ततश्न यात्वा मरुधन्वपारश्व सदा भरनुर्वेदरतिप्रधाना: सरस्वतीमेत्य निवासकामा: सरस्ततो द्वैतवनं प्रतीयु:

Transliteration

tataś ca yātvā marudhanv-apārśvaṃ sadā bharanur-vedarati-pradhānāḥ | sarasvatīm etya nivāsakāmāḥ saras tato dvaitavanaṃ pratīyuḥ ||

Translation

Sinabi ni Vaiśaṃpāyana: Pagkaraan, nang marating nila ang pook na katabi ng Marudhanva, yaong mga pangunahing nagagalak sa Veda at bihasa sa sining ng pana, na nagnanais ng mapagpupugaran, ay dumating sa Sarasvatī; at mula sa lawa roon ay nagpatuloy sila patungo sa gubat ng Dvaitavana.

Word by Word

ततःthen; thereafter

नnot

यात्वाhaving gone

मरुधन्वto Marudhanvan (a place/region)

अपारश्वाःhaving no flanks/without sides (epithet; very strong/unyielding)

सदाalways

भरनुःBharanu (name of a person/leader)

वेदरतिप्रधानाःchiefly devoted to delight in the Veda

सरस्वतीम्the Sarasvatī (river)

एत्यhaving come (to); having reached

निवासकामाḥdesiring to dwell (there)

सरःa lake

ततःfrom there; then

द्वैतवनम्Dvaītavana (forest)

प्रतीयुःthey went forth; they proceeded

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśaṃpāyana

Marudhanva

Sarasvatī

saras (lake)

Dvaitavana

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 a dharmic ideal of balance: even while armed and capable in martial discipline, the travelers are described as devoted to Vedic learning and seek a proper place of residence, suggesting that strength is to be guided by sacred knowledge and orderly conduct.

What is happening in the narrative?

The group moves onward in the wilderness: they travel to the vicinity of Marudhanva, reach the sacred Sarasvatī, and then proceed from a lake there to the forest called Dvaitavana, looking for a suitable place to stay.