Shloka 72

Devanagari script

वत्सलो मधुवर्णश्ष कलशोदर एव च | धर्मदो मन्मथकर: सूचीवक्त्रश्न वीर्यवान्‌

Transliteration

vatsalo madhuvarṇaś ca kalaśodara eva ca | dharmado manmathakaraḥ sūcīvaktro ’tha vīryavān ||

Translation

Dijo Vaiśampāyana: «Era afectuoso; de tez color de miel; de vientre abultado; dador de dharma (quien sostiene y otorga el orden justo); agitador del deseo; de rostro afilado como aguja; y, en verdad, poseía gran fuerza».

Word by Word

वत्सलःaffectionate, loving

मधुवर्णःhoney-colored, tawny

कलशोदरःpot-bellied (having a belly like a pot)

एवindeed, just

चand

धर्मदःgiver of dharma/righteousness

मन्मथकरःcausing desire/love (love-producing)

सूचीवक्त्रःneedle-faced (having a face like a needle; sharp-pointed snout)

वीर्यवान्vigorous, powerful

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse models ethical evaluation through traits: affection and strength are praised, while “giver of dharma” highlights that true worth is measured by one’s support of righteous order, not merely by physical power or appearance.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana is describing a person through a compact list of physical and moral qualities—mixing outward features (complexion, body shape, facial form) with inner capacities (affection, dharmic generosity, vigor)—as part of the ongoing account in Śalya-parvan.