Shloka 49

Vṛddha-kanyā-carita and Balarāma’s Kurukṣetra Inquiry (वृद्धकन्या-चरितम् / कुरुक्षेत्रफल-प्रश्नः)

Devanagari script

हीयेतां तावुभीौ क्षिप्रं स्थातां वा वैरिणावुभौ । तब वहाँ उन मुनियोंने कहा--'बेटा! तुम तो अभी बालक हो” (हम तुम्हारे शिष्य कैसे हो सकते हैं?) तब सारस्वतने पुनः उन मुनियोंसे कहा--“मेरा धर्म नष्ट न हो, इसलिये मैं आपलोगोंको शिष्य बनाना चाहता हूँ; क्योंकि जो अधर्मपूर्वक वेदोंका प्रवचन करता है तथा जो अधर्मपूर्वक उन वेदमन्त्रोंको ग्रहण करता है, वे दोनों शीघ्र ही हीनावस्थाको प्राप्त होते हैं अथवा दोनों एक-दूसरेके वैरी हो जाते हैं || ४७-४८ $ ।। न हायनैर्न पलितैर्न वित्तेन न बन्धुभि:

Transliteration

hīyetāṃ tāv ubhau kṣipraṃ sthātāṃ vā vairiṇāv ubhau |

Translation

Vaiśampāyana said: “If one teaches the Veda in an unrighteous manner and another receives those Vedic mantras in an unrighteous manner, then both quickly fall into a degraded condition—or else the two become enemies of each other.”

Word by Word

हीयेताम्may (they) become diminished / fall into a low state

तौthose two

उभौboth

क्षिप्रम्quickly, soon

स्थाताम्may (they) stand / may become

वाor

वैरिणौenemies

उभौboth

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Veda

Vedic mantras

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

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 transmission of sacred knowledge must be governed by dharma: if either the teacher teaches improperly or the student receives improperly, both suffer—either through moral/spiritual decline or through mutual hostility.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Sarasvata-related episode, the discussion turns to the ethics of Vedic instruction. The verse states the consequence of adharma in teaching/learning: the pair (teacher and recipient) quickly deteriorate or become enemies.