Shloka 22

Cavana’s Tests of Kuśika and the Queen (अध्याय ५३: च्यवन–कुशिक-परिक्षा)

Devanagari script

परिखेदपरित्रासाज्जालस्यथाकर्षणेन च । मत्स्या बभूवुर्व्यापन्ना: स्थलसंस्पर्शनेन च

Transliteration

parikhedaparitrāsāj jālasya athākarṣaṇena ca | matsyā babhūvur vyāpannāḥ sthala-saṁsparśanena ca ||

Translation

毗湿摩说道：“因网所致的极度疲惫与惊惶，又因收拽渔网之举，并且因触及干燥的地面，许多鱼都死去了。圣者见此鱼群被戮之状，慈悲之心顿起，屡屡长叹。”

Word by Word

• परिखेद: from exhaustion/distress
• परिखेद: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: परिखेद
• Form: Masculine, Ablative, Singular

• परित्रासात्: from fear/terror
• परित्रासात्: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: परित्रास
• Form: Masculine, Ablative, Singular

• जालस्य: of the net
• जालस्य: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: जाल
• Form: Neuter, Genitive, Singular

• अथ: and/then
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ

• आकर्षणेन: by pulling/dragging
• आकर्षणेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: आकर्षण
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

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

• मत्स्याः: fish
• मत्स्याः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: मत्स्य
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• बभूवुः: became
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू
• Form: Perfect (Liṭ), 3rd, Plural

• व्यापन्नाः: perished/destroyed
• Type: Adjective
• Root: व्यापन्न
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• स्थल: of land/ground
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्थल
• Form: Neuter, Genitive, Singular

• संस्पर्शनेन: by contact/touch
• संस्पर्शनेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: संस्पर्शन
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

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

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• fish (matsyāḥ)
• net (jāla)
• ground/land (sthala)
• sage (muni, implied by the accompanying narration)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even unintended or routine acts (like catching fish) can cause intense suffering; the ethically awakened person responds with compassion and remorse, recognizing the weight of harm (hiṁsā) and valuing mercy (dayā).

What is happening in the narrative?

Fish are trapped and dragged in a net; the strain, fear, and contact with dry land kill many of them. A sage witnesses this destruction and, moved by pity, repeatedly sighs in grief.