Shloka 77

कृतयुगवर्णनम् तथा राजधर्मोपदेशः

Kṛtayuga Description and Instruction on Royal Dharma

Devanagari script

केचित्‌ पुरवराकारा: केचिद्‌ गजकुलोपमा: । केचिदञ्जनसंकाशा: केचिन्मकरसंनिभा:,कुछ श्रेष्ठ नगरोंके समान, कुछ हाथियोंके झुंड-जैसे, कुछ काजलके रंगवाले और कुछ मगरोंकी-सी आकृतिवाले होते हैं

Transliteration

kecit puravarākārāḥ kecid gajakūlopamāḥ | kecid añjanasaṅkāśāḥ kecin makarasaṃnibhāḥ ||

Translation

وَیشَمپایَن نے کہا—کچھ کی صورت بہترین شہروں جیسی تھی، کچھ ہاتھیوں کے ریوڑ کی مانند۔ کچھ اَنجن (کاجل) کی طرح سیاہ تھے، اور کچھ مَکَر (مگرمچھ) جیسی ہیئت رکھتے تھے۔

Word by Word

• केचित्: some
• केचित्: Karta
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क-चित् (किम् + चित्)
• Form: indeclinable (pronominal quantifier), used with plural sense

• पुरवराकाराः: having the form of excellent cities
• पुरवराकाराः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुरवराकार
• Form: masculine, nominative, plural

• केचित्: some
• केचित्: Karta
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क-चित् (किम् + चित्)
• Form: indeclinable (pronominal quantifier), used with plural sense

• गजकुलोपमाः: like herds of elephants
• गजकुलोपमाः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गजकुलोपम
• Form: masculine, nominative, plural

• केचित्: some
• केचित्: Karta
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क-चित् (किम् + चित्)
• Form: indeclinable (pronominal quantifier), used with plural sense

• अञ्जनसंकाशाः: dark/black like collyrium (kohl)
• अञ्जनसंकाशाः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अञ्जनसंकाश
• Form: masculine, nominative, plural

• केचित्: some
• केचित्: Karta
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क-चित् (किम् + चित्)
• Form: indeclinable (pronominal quantifier), used with plural sense

• मकरसंनिभाः: resembling crocodiles/makaras
• मकरसंनिभाः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मकरसंनिभ
• Form: masculine, nominative, plural

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• puravara (excellent cities)
• gaja (elephants)
• añjana (collyrium)
• makara (crocodile/sea-creature)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the vast diversity and unpredictability of the forest world: appearances vary greatly, and one must meet the unknown with alertness and discernment rather than assumptions.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana is describing a group of beings/figures encountered or spoken of in the forest context, emphasizing their varied and extraordinary forms by comparing them to cities, elephant herds, dark collyrium, and crocodiles.