Shloka 23

Svargārohaṇa-parva Adhyāya 2 — Yudhiṣṭhira’s Inquiry for His Kin and the Vision of a Punitive Realm

Devanagari script

ददर्शोष्णोदकै: पूर्णा नदीं चापि सुदुर्गमाम्‌ । असिपत्रवनं चैव निशितं क्षुरसंवृतम्‌

Transliteration

dadarśoṣṇodakaiḥ pūrṇāṃ nadīṃ cāpi sudurgamām | asipatravanaṃ caiva niśitaṃ kṣurasaṃvṛtam ||

Translation

毗湿摩波耶那说：他看见一条满是滚烫沸水的河流，极难渡越；又看见名为“阿西帕特罗婆那”的森林，森冷锋利，四周尽是如剃刀般的刃锋，叶片似刀剑。此景昭示堕入非正法之途者将受的严酷果报——连大地山林也化作报应的刑具。

Word by Word

• ददर्श: saw
• ददर्श: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश्
• Form: Perfect (Liṭ), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• उष्णोदकैः: with hot water(s)
• उष्णोदकैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: उष्णोदक
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Plural

• पूर्णा: filled
• पूर्णा: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पूर्ण
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• नदीम्: river
• नदीम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: नदी
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

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

• अपि: also
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि

• सुदुर्गमाम्: very hard to cross/approach
• सुदुर्गमाम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुदुर्गम
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• असिपत्रवनम्: the sword-leaf forest (Asipatravana)
• असिपत्रवनम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: असिपत्रवन
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

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

• एव: indeed/just
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

• निशितम्: sharp
• निशितम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निशित
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• क्षुरसंवृतम्: covered/encircled with razors
• क्षुरसंवृतम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: क्षुरसंवृत
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• a river of scalding water
• Asipatravana (forest of sword/razor leaves)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse underscores karmic consequence: harmful actions lead to painful results, portrayed through terrifying, punitive landscapes. It reinforces the ethical imperative to follow dharma so that one does not encounter such suffering in the afterlife.

What is happening in the narrative?

The narrator describes what is seen on the journey: a river of scalding water that is hard to cross, and the razor-sharp Asipatravana forest. These are presented as formidable, fearsome regions associated with post-mortem suffering.