न शेके सोऽवितुं तत्र पुरुकृच्छ्रोरुवेपथु: । गन्तुमैच्छत्ततो वृक्षकोटरादिव सानलात् ॥ १४ ॥
na seke so ’vitum tatra puru-krcchroru-vepathuh gantum aicchat tato vrksa- kotarad iva sanalat
- na
- not
- seke
- was able
- sah
- he
- avitum
- to protect
- tatra
- there
- puru
- very much
- krcchra
- difficulty
- uru
- great
- vepathuh
- suffering
- gantum
- to go out
- aicchat
- desired
- tatah
- from there
- vrksa
- of a tree
- kotarat
- from the hollow
- iva
- like
- sa-analat
- on fire.
As a serpent living within the cavity of a tree wishes to leave when there is a forest fire, so the city’s police superintendent, the snake, wished to leave the city due to the fire’s severe heat.