Shloka 14

Devanagari script

अवसन्मदगहे तात ब्राह्मणो हरिपिड्रल: । चीरवासा बिल्वदण्डी दीर्घश्मश्रु: कृशो महान्‌

Transliteration

avasan madgṛhe tāta brāhmaṇo haripiṅgalaḥ | cīravāsā bilvadaṇḍī dīrghaśmaśruḥ kṛśo mahān ||

Translation

Vāyu dit : «Mon enfant, jadis un brāhmane au teint verdâtre et fauve demeura dans ma demeure. Il portait des haillons et tenait un bâton de bois de bilva. Sa moustache et sa barbe étaient longues ; il paraissait maigre, mais sa présence était imposante.»

Word by Word

• अवसत्: dwelt, lived
• Type: Verb
• Root: वस् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (imperfect/past), 3, singular, परस्मैपद

• मत्-गृहे: in my house
• मत्-गृहे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: गृह (प्रातिपदिक) + मत् (अस्मद्-सम्बन्ध)
• Form: neuter, locative, singular

• तात: O dear (son/father), O beloved
• Type: Noun
• Root: तात (सम्बोधन-शब्द)
• Form: masculine, vocative, singular

• ब्राह्मणः: a Brahmin
• ब्राह्मणः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: masculine, nominative, singular

• हरि-पिङ्गलः: greenish-tawny (in complexion)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हरि (प्रातिपदिक) + पिङ्गल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: masculine, nominative, singular

• चीर-वासाः: wearing rags
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चीर (प्रातिपदिक) + वासस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: masculine, nominative, singular

• बिल्व-दण्डी: having a bilva-wood staff
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बिल्व (प्रातिपदिक) + दण्डिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: masculine, nominative, singular

• दीर्घ-श्मश्रुः: long-bearded / with long moustache and beard
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दीर्घ (प्रातिपदिक) + श्मश्रु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: masculine, nominative, singular

• कृशः: thin, emaciated
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: masculine, nominative, singular

• महान्: great; (also) tall
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: masculine, nominative, singular

Speaker

वायुदेव उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vāyu (Vāyudeva)
• brāhmaṇa (unnamed)
• mad-gṛha (Vāyu’s dwelling)
• bilva-daṇḍa (bilva staff)
• cīra (tattered garments)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse sets an ethical frame by depicting an ascetic brāhmaṇa—rag-clad, staff-bearing, austere in appearance—suggesting that spiritual stature and moral authority are not dependent on wealth or outward comfort, but on discipline and character.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vāyu begins a recollection addressed to a ‘child’ (tāta), introducing a brāhmaṇa who once stayed in his dwelling and describing his distinctive ascetic appearance (rags, bilva staff, long beard, lean yet imposing), preparing for a subsequent episode involving this guest.