Shloka 10

Śakuntalā’s Satya-Discourse and the Recognition of Bharata (शकुन्तला–सत्योपदेशः; भरतप्रतिग्रहः)

Devanagari script

पश्यन्तः स्त्रीगणास्तत्र वज्रपाणिं सम मेनिरे । अयं स पुरुषव्यात्रो रणे वसुपराक्रम:

Transliteration

paśyantaḥ strīgaṇās tatra vajrapāṇiṃ sama menire | ayaṃ sa puruṣavyāghro raṇe vasuparākramaḥ ||

Translation

وہاں دیکھتے دیکھتے عورتوں کے گروہ نے اُسے وجرپانی (اندر) کے مانند جانا—“یہی وہ مردوں کا ببر شیر ہے؛ رَن میں اس کی دلیری وَسُوؤں کے پرَاکرم کے برابر، ناقابلِ مقابلہ ہے۔”

Word by Word

• पश्यन्तः: seeing
• पश्यन्तः: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: पश्यत् (√पश्)
• Form: वर्तमान (शतृ), पुं, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• स्त्रीगणाः: groups of women
• स्त्रीगणाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्त्रीगण
• Form: पुं, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र

• वज्रपाणिम्: Vajrapāṇi (Indra; 'he whose hand holds the thunderbolt')
• वज्रपाणिम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: वज्रपाणि
• Form: पुं, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• सम्: indeed / altogether (intensifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सम्

• मेनिरे: they thought / considered
• Type: Verb
• Root: √मन्
• Form: लिट् (परोक्शभूत/परफेक्ट), आत्मनेपद, प्रथम, बहुवचन

• अयम्: this (man)
• अयम्: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: इदम्
• Form: पुं, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• सः: he
• सः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: पुं, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• पुरुषव्याघ्रः: tiger among men / best of men
• पुरुषव्याघ्रः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरुषव्याघ्र
• Form: पुं, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• रणे: in battle
• रणे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: रण
• Form: पुं, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• वसुपराक्रमः: one whose prowess is like that of the Vasus / having Vasu-like valor
• वसुपराक्रमः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: वसुपराक्रम
• Form: पुं, प्रथमा, एकवचन

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• strīgaṇa (womenfolk)
• Vajrapāṇi (Indra)
• Vasus

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how heroic reputation is formed through public perception: valor in battle is praised as an ideal, and extraordinary human strength is measured against divine archetypes (Indra, the Vasus), reinforcing the epic’s cultural ethic of kṣātra-tejas (martial excellence).

What is happening in the narrative?

Women onlookers observe a renowned warrior and, struck by his appearance and prowess, liken him to Indra (Vajrapāṇi) and acclaim him as a ‘tiger among men’ whose battlefield might matches that of the Vasus.