Shloka 10

Vāraṇāvata-prasaṃsā and the Pāṇḍavas’ Departure (वरणावत-प्रशंसा तथा पाण्डव-प्रयाणम्)

Devanagari script

ययोरेव सम॑ वित्तं ययोरेव सम॑ श्रुतम्‌ । तयोरविवाह: सख्यं च न तु पुष्टविपुष्टयो:,जिनका धन समान है, जिनकी विद्या एक-सी है, उन्हींमें विवाह और मैत्रीका सम्बन्ध हो सकता है। हृष्ट-पुष्ट और दुर्बलमें (धनवान्‌ और निर्धनमें) कभी मित्रता नहीं हो सकती

Transliteration

yayor eva samaṁ vittaṁ yayor eva samaṁ śrutam | tayor avivāhaḥ sakhyaṁ ca na tu puṣṭavipuṣṭayoḥ ||

Translation

Hūpada sprach: „Nur zwischen denen, deren Reichtum gleich ist und deren Wissen gleich ist, können Ehe und Freundschaft in rechter Weise entstehen. Zwischen dem Wohlgenährten und dem Unterernährten—zwischen dem Wohlhabenden und dem Mittellosen—hat wahre Freundschaft keinen Bestand.“

Word by Word

ययोःof whom (two)

एवindeed/only

समम्equal

वित्तम्wealth

ययोःof whom (two)

एवindeed/only

समम्equal

श्रुतम्learning/knowledge (what is heard/learned)

तयोःbetween/of those two

अविवाहःmarriage (lit. non-separation; here: विवाह-सम्बन्धः)

सख्यम्friendship

चand

नnot

तुbut/however

पुष्टविपुष्टयोःof the well-nourished and the ill-nourished (i.e., unequal persons)

Speaker

हुपद उवाच

Characters & Entities

ह

हुपद (Hupada)

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 teaches a pragmatic social ethic: stable marriage and friendship require parity—especially in resources (vitta) and education/culture (śruta). Extreme imbalance tends to produce dependence, resentment, or insecurity, undermining genuine reciprocity.

What is happening in the narrative?

Hupada is articulating a principle for forming alliances—particularly marital and friendly bonds—by emphasizing suitability and equality between parties, warning that relationships across stark disparities (prosperous vs. deprived) are difficult to sustain.