Shloka 32

Kapālamocana-tīrtha (Auśanasa) and Balarāma’s Sarasvatī Pilgrimage

Devanagari script

शृणु मड़कणकस्यापि कौमारब्रह्मचारिण:

Transliteration

śṛṇu maḍakaṇakasya api kaumārabrahmacāriṇaḥ

Translation

Vaiśampāyana said: “Listen also to the account of Maḍakaṇaka, who observed brahmacarya from boyhood.”

Word by Word

• शृणु: hear; listen
• शृणु: Karma
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (imperative), 2, singular, परस्मैपद

• मड़कणकस्य: of (the person named) Maḍakaṇaka
• मड़कणकस्य: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: मड़कणक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: masculine, genitive, singular

• अपि: also; even
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि

• कौमारब्रह्मचारिणः: of the celibate (brahmacārin) from boyhood
• कौमारब्रह्मचारिणः: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: कौमारब्रह्मचारिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: masculine, genitive, singular

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Maḍakaṇaka

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse introduces an exemplum centered on lifelong brahmacarya (celibate discipline from childhood), presenting ascetic self-restraint as a significant ethical ideal within dharma discourse.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana signals a transition to a new illustrative episode, asking the listener to hear about Maḍakaṇaka, characterized as a brahmacārin from boyhood, setting up a didactic story that follows.