Shloka 47
Ādi-parva Adhyāya 3 — Janamejaya’s Rite, Dhaumya’s Parīkṣā, and Uttanka’s Kuṇḍala Quest (सर्पसत्रप्रस्तावना–गुरुपरीक्षा–उत्तङ्कोपाख्यान)
तमुपाध्याय: पीवानमेव दृष्टवोवाच वत्सोपमन्यो भैक्ष्यं नाश्नासि न चान्यच्चरसि पयो न पिबसि पीवानसि भृशं केनेदानीं वृत्ति कल्पयसीति,उपाध्यायने अब भी उसे हृष्ट-पुष्ट ही देखकर पूछा--“बेटा उपमन्यु! तुम भिक्षाका अन्न नहीं खाते, दुबारा भिक्षा भी नहीं माँगते और गौओंका दूध भी नहीं पीते; फिर भी बहुत मोटे हो। इस समय कैसे निर्वाह करते हो?”
tam upādhyāyaḥ pīvānam eva dṛṣṭvā uvāca—vatsopamanyo bhaikṣyaṃ nāśnāsi na cānyac carasi, payo na pibasi; pīvān asi bhṛśaṃ. kenedānīṃ vṛttiṃ kalpayasīti.
Seeing Upamanyu still robust and well-nourished, the teacher said: “My child Upamanyu, you do not eat the alms-food, nor do you go out to beg again, and you do not drink the cows’ milk—yet you are exceedingly well-fed. By what means, then, are you sustaining yourself now?”
राम उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical demand for transparency and restraint in a student’s livelihood: if one appears well-fed despite renouncing permitted supports (alms-food, additional begging, milk), the teacher probes for concealed or improper means. It underscores that dharma in learning is not only study but also honest conduct under discipline.
The teacher observes that Upamanyu remains healthy and stout even though he is not eating the alms he collects, not seeking extra alms, and not drinking milk. Suspecting an undisclosed source of nourishment, the teacher questions him directly about how he is sustaining himself.