Shloka 2

Devanagari script

निशम्य पुत्रकान्‌ बालान्‌ माता तेषां तपस्विनी । जरिता शोकदुः:खार्ता विललाप सुदु:ःखिता,उन बच्चोंको छोटे जानकर उनकी तपस्विनी माता शोक और दु:खसे आतुर हुई जरिता बहुत दुःखी होकर विलाप करने लगी

Transliteration

niśamya putrakān bālān mātā teṣāṃ tapasvinī | jaritā śokaduḥkhārtā विललाप suduḥkhitā ||

Translation

听闻自己的儿子们仍只是幼小孩童，他们的苦行母亲阇利多（Jaritā）为悲痛所压迫，凄然哀号，深陷忧苦之中。

Word by Word

निशम्यhaving heard

पुत्रकान्little sons/children

बालान्young, small

माताmother

तेषाम्of them

तपस्विनीascetic (female), practicing austerities

जरिताJarita (proper name)

शोक-दुःख-आर्ताdistressed with grief and sorrow

विललापlamented, wailed

सुदुःखिताvery sorrowful

Speaker

वैशमग्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Jaritā

her sons (putrakāḥ)

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?

The verse highlights the natural force of parental compassion: even an ascetic life does not erase human responsibility and tenderness. It ethically foregrounds empathy for the vulnerable (children) and the legitimacy of grief when loved ones face danger.

What is happening in the narrative?

Jaritā learns that her sons are still very young; struck by the thought of their helplessness, she is overwhelmed by sorrow and begins to lament intensely.