Shloka 29

कर्कोटक-उपदेशः

Karkoṭaka’s Counsel and Nala’s Concealment

Devanagari script

मोक्षयित्वा स तां व्याध: प्रक्षाल्य सलिलेन ह । समाश्वास्य कृताहारामथ पप्रच्छ भारत,उस विशाल नयनोंवाली युवतीको अजगरके द्वारा उस प्रकार निगली जाती हुई देख व्याधने बड़ी उतावलीके साथ वेगसे दौड़कर तीखे शस्त्रसे शीघ्र ही उस अजगरका मुख फाड़ दिया। वह अजगर छटपटाकर चेष्टारहित हो गया। मृगोंको मारकर जीविका चलानेवाले उस व्याधने सर्पके टुकड़े-टुकड़े करके दमयन्तीको छुड़ाया। फिर जलसे उसके सर्पग्रस्त शरीरको धोकर उसे आश्वासन दे उसके लिये भोजनकी व्यवस्था कर दी। भारत! जब वह भोजन कर चुकी, तब व्याधने उससे पूछा---

Transliteration

mokṣayitvā sa tāṃ vyādhaḥ prakṣālya salilena ha | samāśvāsya kṛtāhārām atha papraccha bhārata ||

Translation

救出她之后，猎人以清水为她洗濯，抚慰安定，并为她备下食物。随后，噢婆罗多啊，待她用毕，猎人便向她发问。

Word by Word

मोक्षयित्वाhaving freed/released

सःhe

ताम्her

व्याधःthe hunter

प्रक्षाल्यhaving washed/cleansed

सलिलेनwith water

हindeed/for emphasis

समाश्वास्यhaving consoled/reassured

कृताहाराम्who had taken food / having eaten

अथthen

पप्रच्छasked

भारतO Bharata

Speaker

ब॒हृदश्चव उवाच

Characters & Entities

vyādha (hunter)

Bhārata (addressee)

salila (water)

āhāra (food)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

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 dharmic conduct in crisis: rescue first, then cleanse, reassure, and provide sustenance. Ethical action is shown as practical compassion—restoring safety and dignity before inquiry.

What is happening in the narrative?

After freeing the woman, the hunter washes her with water, comforts her, arranges food, and once she has eaten, he begins to ask her questions about who she is and what has happened.