Shloka 18
कण्वोपदेशः—नश्वरबलविवेकः तथा मातलिगुणकेश्याः आख्यानारम्भः
Kaṇva’s Counsel on Impermanent Power; Opening of the Mātali–Guṇakeśī Narrative
तौ दृष्टवा क्षुत्पिपासाभ्यां कृशी धमनिसंततौ । शीतवातातपैश्चैव कर्शितौ पुरुषोत्तमौ,वे दोनों पुरुषरत्न भूख-प्याससे दुर्बल हो गये थे। उनके सारे अंगोंमें फैली हुई नस- नाड़ियाँ स्पष्ट दिखायी देती थीं। वे सर्दी-गरमी और हवाका कष्ट सहते-सहते अत्यन्त कृशकाय हो रहे थे
tau dṛṣṭvā kṣutpipāsābhyāṃ kṛśī dhamanisaṃtatau | śītavātātapaiś caiva karśitau puruṣottamau ||
Seeing those two foremost of men, emaciated by hunger and thirst, with their veins standing out across their bodies, and further worn down by cold, wind, and scorching heat, (Vaiśaṃpāyana narrates that) they had become exceedingly gaunt through enduring these hardships.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical and spiritual value of endurance: even the noblest persons may be reduced by hunger, thirst, and harsh weather, yet their steadfast bearing of hardship becomes a marker of discipline and resolve—often a prelude to testing dharma under pressure.
Vaiśampāyana describes two eminent men seen in a severely weakened state: hunger and thirst have made them thin, their veins are visibly prominent, and continual exposure to cold, wind, and heat has further worn them down.