Shloka 21
Śakuntalā’s Satya-Discourse and the Recognition of Bharata (शकुन्तला–सत्योपदेशः; भरतप्रतिग्रहः)
पातयामास दुष्यन्तो निर्बिभेद च सायकै: । दूरस्थान् सायकै: कांश्चिदभिनत् स नराधिप:
pātayāmāsa duṣyanto nirbibheda ca sāyakaiḥ | dūrasthān sāyakaiḥ kāṁścid abhinat sa narādhipaḥ ||
وَیشَمپایَن نے کہا—دُشیَنت نے بہتوں کو گرا دیا اور تیروں سے چھید ڈالا۔ جو دور تھے اُن میں سے بعض کو بھی اس نرادھپ نے اپنے تیروں سے زخمی کیا۔
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse foregrounds royal power expressed through mastery over the wilderness. Ethically, it can be read as prompting reflection on when violence is justified—protective governance and maintaining order versus killing as mere sport—an issue repeatedly examined in epic dharma discussions.
Vaiśampāyana describes King Duṣyanta hunting: he fells animals, pierces them with arrows, and even strikes targets at a distance, emphasizing his strength, skill, and dominance in the forest setting.