Shloka 36
Ādi-parva Adhyāya 3 — Janamejaya’s Rite, Dhaumya’s Parīkṣā, and Uttanka’s Kuṇḍala Quest (सर्पसत्रप्रस्तावना–गुरुपरीक्षा–उत्तङ्कोपाख्यान)
तमुपाध्याय: पीवानमपश्यदुवाच चैनं वत्सोपमन्यो केन वृत्ति कल्पयसि पीवानसि दृढमिति,उपाध्यायने देखा उपमन्यु खूब मोटा-ताजा हो रहा है, तब उन्होंने पूछा--“बेटा उपमन्यु! तुम कैसे जीविका चलाते हो, जिससे इतने अधिक हृष्ट-पुष्ट हो रहे हो?”
tam upādhyāyaḥ pīvānam apaśyad uvāca cainaṃ—vatsopamanyo kena vṛttiṃ kalpayasi? pīvān asi dṛḍham iti.
ولمّا رأى المعلّم أوبامانيو قد غدا ممتلئ البنية حسن التغذية، قال له: «يا بُنيّ أوبامانيو، بأيّ وسيلةٍ تدبّر معاشك؟ لقد صرتَ غليظًا قويًّا حقًّا».
राम उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse foregrounds ethical scrutiny of one’s means of sustenance: even a student’s prosperity must be consistent with dharma and the discipline of the guru’s household. Well-being is not praised blindly; its source is examined.
The teacher notices that the student Upamanyu has become unusually robust and asks how he is maintaining himself. This sets up an inquiry into Upamanyu’s practices and whether they align with proper student conduct.