Shloka 8

Ādi-parva Adhyāya 141: Bhīma–Hiḍimba Confrontation and Protective Discourse

Devanagari script

तच्छुत्वा व्यथिता कुन्ती पुत्रै: सह यशस्विनी । नावमारुहा गड़ायां प्रययौ भरतर्षभ,भरतश्रेष्ठ यह बात सुनकर यशस्विनी कुन्तीको बड़ी व्यथा हुई। वे पुत्रोंसहित (वारणावतके लाक्षागृहसे बचकर) नावपर जा चढ़ीं और गंगाजीकी धारापर यात्रा करने लगीं

Transliteration

tac chrutvā vyathitā kuntī putraiḥ saha yaśasvinī | nāvam āruhya gaṅgāyāṃ prayayau bharatarṣabha ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana nói: Nghe vậy, Kuntī lừng danh đau đớn khôn cùng. Bà đưa các con đi theo, bước lên thuyền và xuôi theo dòng sông Hằng—một cuộc tháo chạy khẩn cấp để giữ mạng và giữ trọn bổn phận của người mẹ che chở con mình.

Word by Word

तत्that (statement/event)

श्रुत्वाhaving heard

व्यथिताdistressed, afflicted

कुन्तीKuntī

पुत्रैःwith (her) sons

सहtogether with

यशस्विनीrenowned, illustrious

नावम्boat

आरुह्यhaving boarded, having climbed onto

गङ्गायाम्on/in the Gaṅgā (river)

प्रययौwent forth, departed

भरतर्षभO bull among the Bharatas

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Kuntī

Kuntī's sons (Pāṇḍavas)

Gaṅgā (river)

Boat

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 dharma as protective responsibility: Kuntī’s immediate action to safeguard her sons shows that preserving innocent life and fulfilling one’s duty as guardian can require swift, practical decisions in times of danger.

What is happening in the narrative?

After hearing alarming news, Kuntī becomes distressed and, with her sons, boards a boat and travels along the Gaṅgā—part of their urgent movement away from threat following their escape from peril.