Shloka 18

Devanagari script

धन्यं व: पितरं मन्ये तपोमेधान्वितं तथा । यः पुत्राधिमसम्प्राप्य स्वर्गेच्छामकरोत्‌ प्रियाम्‌,मैं तो तुम्हारे तपस्वी एवं मेधावी पिताको ही धन्य मानती हूँ, जिन्होंने पुत्रोंके दुःखसे दुःखी होनेका अवसर न पाकर स्वर्गलोककी अभिलाषाको ही प्रिय समझा

Transliteration

dhanyaṃ vaḥ pitaraṃ manye tapomedhānvitam tathā | yaḥ putrādhimasaṃprāpya svargecchām akarot priyām ||

Translation

Vaiśaṃpāyana sprach: „Euren Vater halte ich für wahrhaft gesegnet—begabt mit Askese und scharfem Verstand; denn nachdem er durch seine Söhne das höchste Gut erlangt hatte, verfiel er nicht in den Kummer, der aus dem Leiden der Kinder erwächst, sondern hielt das Verlangen nach dem Himmel für das Liebste.“

Word by Word

धन्यम्fortunate, blessed

वःof you (your)

पितरम्father

मन्येI think/consider

तपोमेधान्वितम्endowed with austerity and intelligence

तथाalso/indeed/so

यःwho

पुत्राधिमम्excessive attachment to sons / over-concern for sons

सम्प्राप्यhaving attained/obtained

स्वर्गेच्छाम्desire for heaven

अकरोत्made/considered

प्रियाम्dear, pleasing (as dear)

Speaker

वैशमग्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśaṃpāyana

father (pitā)

sons (putrāḥ)

Svarga (heaven)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse praises a father whose austerity and discernment keep him oriented toward higher aims (svarga/ultimate good) rather than being overwhelmed by worldly grief arising from his children’s suffering—highlighting ethical steadiness and detachment grounded in spiritual discipline.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśaṃpāyana comments on the blessedness of “your father,” describing him as ascetic and intelligent, and noting that he cherished the aspiration for heaven rather than encountering (or being consumed by) sorrow connected with his sons’ distress.