Shloka 90

Āṇīmāṇḍavya–Upākhyāna

The Account of Āṇīmāṇḍavya and the Birth of Vidura

Devanagari script

इदं तु वचन सौम्य कार्य चैव निबोध मे । कौमारिकाणां शीलेन वक्ष्याम्पहमरिन्दम,'परंतु सौम्य! इस विषयमें मुझे आपसे कुछ और कहना है और वह आवश्यक कार्य है; अतः आप मेरे इस कथनको सुनिये। शत्रुदमन! कन्याओंके प्रति स्नेह रखनेवाले सगे- सम्बन्धियोंका जैसा स्वभाव होता है, उसीसे प्रेरित होकर मैं आपसे कुछ निवेदन करूँगा

Transliteration

idam tu vacana saumya kārya caiva nibodha me | kaumārikāṇāṃ śīlena vakṣyāmy aham arindama ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana dijo: «Pero, oh noble, comprende además esta palabra mía: también es un asunto necesario del deber. Oh domador de enemigos, movido por la natural preocupación que los parientes sienten por las doncellas aún sin casar, te diré lo que debe decirse.»

Word by Word

{'idam''this', 'tu': 'but

however', 'vacanam''speech

word', 'saumya''gentle one

dear sir (a respectful address)', 'kāryam''a task to be done

required matter', 'ca eva''and indeed

and also', 'nibodha''understand

take note (imperative)', 'me''of me

my', 'kaumārikāṇām''of maidens

of unmarried girls', 'śīlena''by nature

in accordance with customary conduct', 'vakṣyāmi''I shall speak

I will state', 'aham''I', 'arindama': 'subduer of enemies (epithet of the listener)'}

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

arindama (epithet of the addressee)

kaumārikāḥ (unmarried maidens)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse frames forthcoming advice as a necessary duty (kārya) grounded in social-ethical responsibility: elders and kinsmen are naturally obliged to protect and properly guide matters concerning unmarried maidens, and such concern should shape one’s counsel and actions.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana pauses to add an important, duty-bound clarification. Addressing his listener respectfully as “saumya” and “arindama,” he signals that what he will say next is prompted by the customary concern of relatives for young unmarried women, preparing the audience for guidance related to their welfare and proper conduct.