Shloka 4

यवक्रीत-वधः

The Slaying of Yavakrīta at Raibhya’s Hermitage

Devanagari script

सा तस्य शीलमाज्ञाय तस्माच्छापाच्च बिभ्यती । तेजस्वितां च रैभ्यस्य तथेत्युक्त्वा55जगाम ह,वह यवक्रीतके शील-स्वभावको जानकर भी उसके शापसे डरती थी। साथ ही उसे रैभ्यमुनिकी तेजस्विताका भी स्मरण था। अतः “बहुत अच्छा” कहकर उसके पास चली आयी

Transliteration

sā tasya śīlam ājñāya tasmāc chāpāc ca bibhyatī | tejasvitāṁ ca raibhyasya tathety uktvā jagāma ha ||

Translation

她明知他的性情，却畏惧他的诅咒（śāpa）；又忆及仙人赖毗耶（Raibhya）那炽盛的灵威（tejas）。于是她说道：“就依你所言。”便走向了他。

Word by Word

साshe

तस्यof him

शीलम्conduct, character

आज्ञायhaving known/understood

तस्मात्from him/therefore (from that)

शापात्from (his) curse

चand

बिभ्यतीfears, is afraid

तेजस्विताम्splendour, spiritual power

चand

रैभ्यस्यof Raibhya

तथाso, thus

इतिthus (quotative)

उक्त्वाhaving said

जगामwent

हindeed (particle)

Speaker

लोगश उवाच

Characters & Entities

Raibhya (sage)

the woman (unnamed in this verse)

the man whose character is known (contextually Yavakrīta)

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 how awareness of a person’s nature and reverence for ascetic potency (tejas) shape ethical choices: fear of a curse and respect for a sage’s spiritual power can compel action, reminding that adharma often proceeds under pressure, yet still carries moral weight.

What is happening in the narrative?

A woman, knowing the man’s temperament and fearing his curse, also recalls the formidable spiritual radiance of the sage Raibhya; she therefore assents (“tathā”) and goes to him, advancing the episode connected with Yavakrīta and Raibhya.