Shloka 31

Adhyāya 71: Kaca and the Saṃjīvanī-vidyā

Devayānī–Śukra Episode

Devanagari script

बभार यत्रास्य पुरा काले दुर्गे महात्मन: । दारान्मतड़ो धर्मात्मा राजर्षिव्याधतां गत:,विश्वामित्र महर्षि वे ही हैं, जिनकी पत्नीका पूर्वकालमें संकटके समय शापवश व्याध बने हुए धर्मात्मा राजर्षि मतंगने भरण-पोषण किया था

Transliteration

babhāra yatrāsya purā kāle durge mahātmanaḥ | dārān mataṅgo dharmātmā rājarṣir vyādhatāṃ gataḥ ||

Translation

Kaṇva sprach: „In jener früheren Zeit der Bedrängnis war es dort, dass der rechtschaffene königliche Weise Mataṅga—obwohl durch einen Fluch zum Leben als Jäger verurteilt—die Gattin jenes Großherzigen ernährte und beschützte.“

Word by Word

बभारsupported, maintained

यत्रwhere

अस्यof him

पुराformerly, earlier

कालेat the time

दुर्गेin distress, in difficulty

महात्मनःof the great-souled one

दारान्wife (lit. spouses/household)

मतङ्गःMatanga

धर्मात्माrighteous-souled

राजर्षिःroyal sage

व्याधताम्the state of being a hunter

गतःhaving gone to, having become

विश्वामित्रःViśvāmitra

महर्षिःgreat sage

Speaker

कण्व उवाच

Characters & Entities

Kaṇva

Mataṅga

the great-souled person (unnamed here)

the wife/spouse (dārāḥ)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse teaches that dharma is measured by conduct, not by outward status. Even when reduced by a curse to the life of a hunter, Mataṅga remains dharmātmā by sustaining and protecting another in a time of danger.

What is happening in the narrative?

Kaṇva recalls an earlier episode: during a crisis, Mataṅga—then living as a vyādha due to a curse—provided support and protection to the wife of a great-souled figure, indicating a past bond of help and moral obligation.