Shloka 17

Sāvitrī’s Report and Nārada’s Prognosis (सावित्र्याख्यान—सत्यवान्-गुणवर्णनं तथा अल्पायुषः पूर्वसूचना)

Devanagari script

अद्य कैकेयि दौर्भाग्यं राज्ञा ते ख्यापितं महत्‌ | आशीविष्त्त्वां संक्रुद्धश्वण्डो दशतु दुर्भगे

Transliteration

adya kaikeyi daurbhāgyaṃ rājñā te khyāpitaṃ mahat | āśīviṣṭvāṃ saṃkruddhaś caṇḍo daśatu durbhage ||

Translation

Mārkaṇḍeya nói: “Hôm nay, hỡi Kaikeyī, nhà vua đã công khai tuyên bố một tai ương lớn dành cho nàng. Hỡi hoàng hậu bạc phận! Thà rằng một con rắn độc dữ tợn, đang cuồng nộ, cắn nàng còn hơn.” Lời ấy mang sắc thái khiển trách đạo lý: bị bậc quân vương kết tội và đổ lỗi trước công chúng được xem là hậu quả nặng nề hơn thương tổn thân xác, vì nó làm hoen ố danh dự và địa vị theo dharma.

Word by Word

• अद्य: today
• अद्य: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अद्य

• कैकेयि: O Kaikeyi
• Type: Noun
• Root: कैकेयी
• Form: Feminine, Vocative, Singular

• दौर्भाग्यम्: misfortune
• दौर्भाग्यम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: दौर्भाग्य
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• राज्ञा: by the king
• राज्ञा: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन्
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• ते: to you / for you
• ते: Sampradana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: युष्मद्
• Form: Dative, Singular

• ख्यापितम्: has been proclaimed/announced
• Type: Verb
• Root: ख्यापय्
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular, Past passive participle (क्त), Passive (resultative)

• महत्: great
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत्
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• आशीविषः: a venomous serpent
• आशीविषः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: आशीविष
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• त्वाम्: you
• त्वाम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: युष्मद्
• Form: Accusative, Singular

• संक्रुद्धः: enraged
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सं-क्रुध्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular, Past participle (क्त), Active (intransitive sense)

• चण्डः: fierce
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चण्ड
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• दशतु: let (him) bite
• Type: Verb
• Root: दंश्
• Form: Imperative (लोट्), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• दुर्भगे: O unfortunate woman
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुर्भगा
• Form: Feminine, Vocative, Singular

• केकय-नन्दिनि: O daughter of Kekaya
• Type: Noun
• Root: केकयनन्दिनी
• Form: Feminine, Vocative, Singular

Speaker

मार्कण्डेय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Mārkaṇḍeya
• Kaikeyī
• the king (rājā)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Public moral condemnation by rightful authority is depicted as a severe consequence of adharma; loss of honor and dharmic standing can be worse than physical suffering.

What is happening in the narrative?

Mārkaṇḍeya addresses Kaikeyī with harsh reproach, stating that the king has declared great misfortune for her and that it would have been preferable for her to be bitten by a fierce venomous snake—an emphatic expression of blame.