Shloka 4

Devanagari script

बालेनापि सता मोहादू भृशं पापकृतान्यपि । नाभ्यासादयितव्यानि तेजांसि च तपांसि च,“सज्जन बालकको भी चाहिये कि वह अत्यन्त मोहके कारण पापशून्य, तेजस्वी तथा तपस्वी पुरुषोंके अत्यन्त निकट न जाय

Transliteration

bālenāpi satā mohād bhṛśaṃ pāpakṛtāny api | nābhyāsādayitavyāni tejāṃsi ca tapāṃsi ca ||

Translation

Dijo Vaiśampāyana: Incluso un muchacho bien intencionado, cuando lo vence el engaño, puede cometer faltas gravísimas. Por ello no debe acercarse temerariamente ni apremiarse demasiado junto a hombres de resplandor espiritual y severa austeridad; el poder de tales ascetas no se maneja a la ligera, y una proximidad imprudente puede traer daño y culpa moral.

Word by Word

बालेनby/with a boy (even a young person)

अपिeven/also

सताbeing good/virtuous

मोहात्from delusion

भृशम्excessively, greatly

पापकृतानिsinful acts

अपिeven/also

नnot

अभ्यासादयितव्यानिshould not be practiced/undertaken

तेजांसिsplendors, powers, energies

चand

तपांसिausterities, penances

चand

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśaṃpāyana

bāla (a boy/child)

tejāṃsi (spiritual radiance/power)

tapāṃsi (austerities/penances)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even a basically good person can do great harm when deluded; therefore one should act with restraint and not intrude upon or provoke those endowed with intense tejas and tapas, whose spiritual power can have serious consequences.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśaṃpāyana offers a cautionary reflection within the Vana Parva context: heedless closeness to powerful ascetics—especially by the young or inexperienced—can lead to unintended offenses and grave outcomes.