Text 41 ] Description of the Descendants of Dhruva Mahārāja
575
sa śarāsanam udyamya mṛgayur vana-gocaraḥ hanty asādhur mṛgān dīnān veno 'sāv ity arauj janaḥ
saḥ—that boy of the name Vena; śarāsanam—his bow; udyamya—taking up; mṛgayuḥ—the hunter; vana-gocaraḥ—going into the forest; hanti—used to kill; asādhuḥ—being very cruel; mṛgān—deer; dīnān—poor; venaḥ—Vena; asau—there he is; iti—thus; araut—would cry; janaḥ—all the people.
TRANSLATION
After fixing his bow and arrow, the cruel boy used to go to the forest and unnecessarily kill innocent deer, and as soon as he came all the people would cry, “Here comes cruel Vena! Here comes cruel Vena!”
PURPORT
Kṣatriyas  are allowed to hunt in the forest for the purpose of learning the killing art, not to kill animals for eating or for any other purpose. The  kṣatriya  kings were sometimes expected to cut off the head of a culprit in the state. For this reason the  kṣatriyas  were allowed to hunt in the forest. Because this son of King Anga, Vena, was born of a bad mother, he was very cruel, and he used to go to the forest and unnecessarily kill the animals. All the neighboring inhabitants would be frightened by his presence, and they would call, “Here comes Vena! Here comes Vena!” So from the beginning of his life he was fearful to the citizens.
TEXT 41
आक्रीडे क्रीडतो बालान् वयस्यानतिदारुणः । प्रसद्य निरनुक्रोशः पशुमारममारयत् ॥४१॥
ākrīḍe krīḍato bālān vayasyān atidāruṇaḥ prasahya niranukrośaḥ paśu-māram amārayat
ākrīḍe—in the playground; krīḍataḥ—while playing; bālān—boys; vayas-yān—of his age; atidāruṇaḥ—very cruel; prasahya—by force; niranukrośaḥ—merciless; paśu-māram—as if slaughtering animals; amārayat—killed.