Shloka 15

Devanagari script

येन त्वा नाभिजानीमो लोके विख्यातपौरुषम्‌ । वृद्धो भवान्‌ महाभागो यो न: शोच्यान्‌ सुदु:ःखितान्‌,इसीलिये लोकमें विख्यात पौरुषवाले आप-जैसे महापुरुषको हम पहचान नहीं पा रहे हैं। आप कोई महान्‌ सौभाग्यशाली महापुरुष हैं, जो अत्यन्त दुःखमें पड़े हुए हम-जैसे शोचनीय प्राणियोंके लिये करुणावश शोक कर रहे हैं। ब्रह्म! हमलोग कौन हैं इसका परिचय देते हैं, सुनिये। हम अत्यन्त कठोर व्रतका पालन करनेवाले यायावर नामक महर्षि हैं

Transliteration

yena tvā nābhijānīmo loke vikhyāta-pauruṣam | vṛddho bhavān mahābhāgo yo naḥ śocyān suduḥkhitān ||

Translation

“It is for this reason that we fail to recognize you—though your valor is famed throughout the world. You are an aged and greatly fortunate noble person, for you grieve, out of compassion, for pitiable beings like us who are sunk in extreme sorrow.”

Word by Word

येनby which/whereby

त्वाyou

नnot

अभिजानीमःwe recognize/know

लोकेin the world

विख्यातrenowned

पौरुषम्manly valor/heroism

वृद्धःaged/elder

भवान्you (honorific)

महाभागःvery fortunate/noble

यःwho

नःof us/our

शोच्यान्to be pitied/mourned

सुदुःखितान्very distressed

Speaker

तक्षक उवाच

Characters & Entities

Takṣaka

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 highlights karuṇā (compassion) as a mark of true nobility: a genuinely great person is moved to grieve for the suffering of others, even when those others are socially insignificant or pitiable.

What is happening in the narrative?

Takṣaka addresses an elder renowned for valor, expressing surprise that such a famous figure is showing compassionate sorrow for them; this sets a tone of humility and introduces the speaker’s appeal within the ongoing encounter.