Shloka 23

Adhyaya 74 — King Svarashtra, the Deer-Queen’s Curse, and the Rise of Tamasa Manu

Sanskrit

मृग्युवाच अहं पितृगृहे बाला सखीभिः सहिता वनम् । रन्तुं गता ददर्शैकं मृगं मृग्या समागतम् ॥

Transliteration

mṛgy uvāca ahaṃ pitṛgṛhe bālā sakhībhiḥ sahitā vanam / rantuṃ gatā dadarśaikaṃ mṛgaṃ mṛgyā samāgatam

Translation

ہرنی نے کہا—جب میں اپنے باپ کے گھر میں نوخیز لڑکی تھی تو سہیلیوں کے ساتھ کھیلنے کے لیے جنگل گئی۔ وہاں میں نے ایک ہرن کو ایک ہرنی کے ساتھ ملا ہوا دیکھا۔

Word by Word

• mṛgī: the doe
• mṛgī: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mṛgī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Prathamā (प्रथमा/1st), Ekavacana (एकवचन)

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: Liṭ-lakāra (लिट्/perfect), Prathama-puruṣa (प्रथम/3rd), Ekavacana (एकवचन), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद)

• aham: I
• aham: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Sarvanāma (सर्वनाम), Prathamā (प्रथमा/1st), Ekavacana (एकवचन)

• pitṛ-gṛhe: in (my) father’s house
• pitṛ-gṛhe: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pitṛ (प्रातिपदिक) + gṛha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: ‘father’s’ + ‘house’); Napuṃsakalिङ्ग (नपुंसक), Saptamī (सप्तमी/7th), Ekavacana (एकवचन)

• bālā: a young girl
• bālā: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bālā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Prathamā (प्रथमा/1st), Ekavacana (एकवचन)

• sakhībhiḥ: with (my) friends
• sakhībhiḥ: Sahakāraka (सह/सहकारक)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sakhī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Tṛtīyā (तृतीया/3rd), Bahuvacana (बहुवचन)

• sahitā: accompanied
• sahitā: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sahita (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Prathamā (प्रथमा/1st), Ekavacana (एकवचन); agrees with bālā/aham

• vanam: forest
• vanam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napuṃsakalिङ्ग (नपुंसक), Dvitīyā (द्वितीया/2nd), Ekavacana (एकवचन)

• rantum: to play/enjoy
• rantum: Prayojana (प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ram (धातु)
• Form: Tumun-anta infinitive (तुमुन्/infinitive), purpose (प्रयोजन)

• gatā: having gone
• gatā: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: gam (धातु)
• Form: Kṛdanta; Kta-pratyaya (क्त/PPP), Strīliṅga (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Prathamā (प्रथमा/1st), Ekavacana (एकवचन)

• dadarśa: saw
• dadarśa: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dṛś (धातु)
• Form: Liṭ-lakāra (लिट्/perfect), Prathama-puruṣa (प्रथम/3rd), Ekavacana (एकवचन), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद)

• ekam: one
• ekam: Karma-viśeṣaṇa (कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: eka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga (पुंलिङ्ग), Dvitīyā (द्वितीया/2nd), Ekavacana (एकवचन); agrees with mṛgam

• mṛgam: a deer
• mṛgam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mṛga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga (पुंलिङ्ग), Dvitīyā (द्वितीया/2nd), Ekavacana (एकवचन)

• mṛgyā: with a doe / by a doe
• mṛgyā: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mṛgī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Tṛtīyā (तृतीया/3rd), Ekavacana (एकवचन); instrumental of agent/association

• samāgatam: come together/arrived (with)
• samāgatam: Karma-viśeṣaṇa (कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam + ā + gam (धातु)
• Form: Kṛdanta; Kta-pratyaya (क्त/PPP), Puṃliṅga (पुंलिङ्ग), Dvitīyā (द्वितीया/2nd), Ekavacana (एकवचन); agrees with mṛgam

Speakers

• Doe narrating her past to the king

Verse Rasa

{ "primaryRasa": "shanta", "secondaryRasa": "adbhuta", "rasaIntensity": 0, "emotionalArcPosition": "", "moodDescriptors": [] }

Key Themes

• Narrative of wrongdoing
• Youthful indiscretion
• Consequences of disturbing living beings

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

The scene frames harm as arising from heedlessness: casual amusement can lead to serious ethical breach when it disrupts the life-process of others.

How does this fit the Pancalakṣaṇa (5 characteristics)?

Upākhyāna (illustrative moral tale) rather than the five formal characteristics; it functions as dharma-teaching through story.

What is the esoteric significance?

The forest encounter symbolizes the liminal zone where untrained impulses meet natural law; interference there triggers ‘return’ in kind—rebirth into the very species disturbed.