Shloka 46

Devanagari script

विश्वामित्रस्ततो भीतः सहसा तमुवाच ह | तत्र व्रीडाकुलमुख: सोद्वेगस्तेन कर्मणा,चाण्डालने कहा--अरे! चाण्डालोंके घरोंमें तो सब लोग सो गये हैं, फिर कौन यहाँ आकर कुत्तेकी जाँघ लेनेकी चेष्टा कर रहा है? मैं जागता हूँ, सोया नहीं हूँ। मैं देखता हूँ, तू मारा गया। उस क्रूर स्वभाववाले चाण्डालने जब ऐसी बात कही, तब विश्वामित्र उससे डर गये। उनके मुखपर लज्जा घिर आयी। वे उस नीच कर्मसे उद्विग्न हो सहसा बोल उठे --

Transliteration

viśvāmitras tato bhītaḥ sahasā tam uvāca ha | tatra vrīḍākula-mukhaḥ sodvegās tena karmaṇā ||

Translation

Bấy giờ Viśvāmitra, vì sợ hãi, liền cất lời với hắn. Mặt ông phủ đầy hổ thẹn, lòng ông chấn động bởi nỗi bất an trước hành vi nhục nhã mà mình vừa toan làm. Cảnh ấy nhấn mạnh thế căng đạo lý giữa sự sống còn trong cơn đói khát và sự mất phẩm giá khi sa vào điều bị cấm.

Word by Word

विश्वामित्रःVishvamitra

ततःthen/from that (time)

भीतःfrightened

सहसाsuddenly

तम्him

उवाचsaid/spoke

हindeed (emphatic particle)

तत्रthere

व्रीडाwith shame

आकुलमुखःhaving a face troubled/confused

सhe

उद्वेगःagitated/distressed

तेनby that

कर्मणाby the act/deed

Speaker

घपच उवाच

Characters & Entities

Viśvāmitra

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even when driven by extreme hardship, a fall into prohibited or degrading conduct produces inner turmoil—shame (vrīḍā) and anxiety (udvega). The verse highlights the ethical cost of transgression and the conscience’s response to adharma.

What is happening in the narrative?

After being confronted (in the surrounding passage) during an attempted low act, Viśvāmitra becomes afraid and speaks abruptly. His face shows shame and he is disturbed by what he has done, marking a moment of moral crisis and self-awareness.