Shloka 14

Devanagari script

रत्नौषधिसमेतेन रक्ताड्गुलितलेन च । उपविष्टस्य पृष्ठ ते पाणिना परिमार्जतु

Transliteration

ratnauṣadhisametena raktāṅgulitalena ca | upaviṣṭasya pṛṣṭha te pāṇinā parimārjatu ||

Translation

Dijo Vaiśaṃpāyana: «Con una palma provista de joyas y hierbas curativas, y con los dedos enrojecidos como teñidos, que él frote suavemente tu espalda mientras estás sentado.»

Word by Word

रत्नौषधि-समेतेनwith (something) furnished with jewels and herbs

रक्त-अङ्गुलि-तलेनwith a palm whose fingers/hand-surface are red

चand

उपविष्टस्यof (one) seated

पृष्ठेon the back

तेof you / your

पाणिनाwith the hand

परिमार्जतुlet (him/her) rub/wipe

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśaṃpāyana

hand (pāṇi)

palm (tala)

fingers (aṅguli)

jewels (ratna)

medicinal herbs (auṣadhi)

back (pṛṣṭha)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights dharmic care: soothing another person through respectful, healing service. It frames physical comfort—using remedies and gentle touch—as an ethical act aligned with compassion and responsibility.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśaṃpāyana narrates an instruction or arrangement of personal attendance: as someone sits, another is to rub the person’s back with a hand associated with precious and medicinal substances, implying a deliberate act of soothing or treatment.