Shloka 24

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

Devanagari script

चचार स विनिष्नन्‌ वै स्वैरचारान्‌ वनद्विपान्‌ । राज्ञा चाद्भुतवीर्येण योधेश्व समरप्रियै:

Transliteration

cacāra sa viniṣṇan vai svairacārān vanadvipān | rājñā cādbhutavīryeṇa yodheṣv samarapriyaiḥ ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana nói: Nhà vua ấy đi khắp nơi, đánh hạ những voi rừng hoang dã vốn lang thang tự do. Vị quân vương có sức mạnh kỳ diệu ấy, cùng các chiến binh ưa chinh chiến, lùng sục khu đại lâm theo mọi hướng—một hình ảnh uy quyền vương giả mà khi vượt quá chừng mực, biến rừng xanh thành cánh đồng kinh hãi cho muôn loài.

Word by Word

• चचार: wandered/roamed
• Type: Verb
• Root: चर्
• Form: Perfect (Liṭ), 3, singular, Parasmaipada

• सः: he
• सः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: masculine, nominative, singular

• विनिष्णन्: sitting down/settling (down)
• विनिष्णन्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: विनि-षद् (विनिषद्)
• Form: शतृ (present active participle), masculine, nominative, singular

• वै: indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै

• स्वैरचारान्: freely roaming
• स्वैरचारान्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्वैरचार
• Form: masculine, accusative, plural

• वनद्विपान्: forest-elephants
• वनद्विपान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: वनद्विप
• Form: masculine, accusative, plural

• राज्ञा: by the king
• राज्ञा: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन्
• Form: masculine, instrumental, singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• अद्भुतवीर्येण: with wondrous prowess
• अद्भुतवीर्येण: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अद्भुतवीर्य
• Form: neuter, instrumental, singular

• योधेषु: among warriors/in battles
• योधेषु: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: योध
• Form: masculine, locative, plural

• समरप्रियैः: by those fond of battle
• समरप्रियैः: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: समरप्रिय
• Form: masculine, instrumental, plural

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• king (rājā)
• warriors (yodha)
• forest-elephants (vanadvipa)
• forest (vana)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse foregrounds royal and martial power as a force that can dominate nature; ethically, it invites reflection on restraint (dama) and the limits of kṣatriya vigor when it becomes destructive rather than protective.

What is happening in the narrative?

A powerful king, accompanied by warriors who delight in battle, moves through a vast forest and kills wild elephants that roam freely, indicating an aggressive sweep through the woodland.