Shloka 21

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

Sanskrit

मृग्युवाच अहं ते दयिता भूप ! प्रागासमुत्पलावती । भार्या शताग्रमहिषी दुहिता दृढधन्वनः ॥

Transliteration

mṛgy uvāca ahaṃ te dayitā bhūpa! prāg āsam utpalāvatī / bhāryā śatāgramahiṣī duhitā dṛḍhadhanvanaḥ

Translation

Nai cái thưa: “Muôn tâu Đại vương, trước kia thiếp từng là ái nhân của bệ hạ—Utpalāvatī. Thiếp là thê tử của Śatāgra, vị chánh hậu, và là ái nữ của Dṛḍhadhanvan.”

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)

• te: your
• te: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/possessor)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yuzmad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Sarvanāma (सर्वनाम), Ṣaṣṭhī (षष्ठी/6th), Ekavacana (एकवचन)

• dayitā: beloved (woman)
• dayitā: Pradhāna-viśeṣya (प्रधान/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dayitā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Prathamā (प्रथमा/1st), Ekavacana (एकवचन)

• bhūpa: O king
• bhūpa: Sambodhyā (सम्बोध्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhūpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga (पुंलिङ्ग), Sambodhana (सम्बोधन/vocative), Ekavacana (एकवचन)

• prāk: formerly/before
• prāk: Kāla (काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: prāk (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; kāla-avyaya (कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण)

• āsam: I was
• āsam: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: as (धातु)
• Form: Laṅ-lakāra (लङ्/imperfect past), Uttama-puruṣa (उत्तम/1st), Ekavacana (एकवचन), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद)

• utpalāvatī: (named) Utpalāvatī
• utpalāvatī: Pradhāna-viśeṣya (प्रधान/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: utpalāvatī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Prathamā (प्रथमा/1st), Ekavacana (एकवचन); proper name

• bhāryā: wife
• bhāryā: Pradhāna-viśeṣya (प्रधान/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhāryā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Prathamā (प्रथमा/1st), Ekavacana (एकवचन)

• śatāgra-mahiṣī: chief queen among a hundred
• śatāgra-mahiṣī: Pradhāna-viśeṣya (प्रधान/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śata (प्रातिपदिक) + agra (प्रातिपदिक) + mahiṣī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa (determinative; ‘having a hundred foremost (co-wives)’/‘chief among a hundred’); Strīliṅga (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Prathamā (प्रथमा/1st), Ekavacana (एकवचन)

• duhitā: daughter
• duhitā: Pradhāna-viśeṣya (प्रधान/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: duhitṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Prathamā (प्रथमा/1st), Ekavacana (एकवचन)

• dṛḍha-dhanvanaḥ: of Dṛḍhadhanvan (the firm-bowman)
• dṛḍha-dhanvanaḥ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/possessor)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dṛḍha (प्रातिपदिक) + dhanvan (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Karmadhāraya (कर्मधारय: ‘firm’ + ‘bowman’); Puṃliṅga (पुंलिङ्ग), Ṣaṣṭhī (षष्ठी/6th), Ekavacana (एकवचन)

Speakers

• Doe (mṛgī) to the king

Verse Rasa

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

Key Themes

• Past-life memory
• Identity across rebirth
• Royal genealogy (names of persons)

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

Personal identity and attachment are shown as continuing threads across births; the narrative implies that relational karma can reappear in altered forms, demanding discernment rather than mere passion.

How does this fit the Pancalakṣaṇa (5 characteristics)?

Closest to Vaṃśa/Vaṃśānucarita elements (names, royal relations) used to anchor an upākhyāna (illustrative tale) within the Purāṇa.

What is the esoteric significance?

The ‘beloved now as a doe’ encodes the teaching that kāma (desire) and bandha (bondage) can persist while the body changes—urging a shift from possessive love to dharmic understanding.