Shloka 5

Vṛddha-kanyā-carita and Balarāma’s Kurukṣetra Inquiry (वृद्धकन्या-चरितम् / कुरुक्षेत्रफल-प्रश्नः)

Devanagari script

वैशम्पायन उवाच आसीत्‌ पूर्व महाराज मुनिर्धीमान्‌ महातपा: । दधीच इति विख्यातो ब्रह्म॒चारी जितेन्द्रिय:,वैशम्पायनजीने कहा--महाराज! पूर्वकालमें एक बुद्धिमान्‌ महातपस्वी मुनि रहते थे, जो ब्रह्मचारी और जितेन्द्रिय थे। उनका नाम था दधीच

Transliteration

vaiśampāyana uvāca: āsīt pūrva mahārāja munir dhīmān mahātapāḥ | dadhīca iti vikhyāto brahmacārī jitendriyaḥ ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana dit : Ô grand roi, jadis vécut un sage d’une grande austérité, plein de discernement. Il était connu sous le nom de Dadhīca, ferme dans la discipline du brahmacarya et maître de ses sens.

Word by Word

वैशम्पायनःVaishampayana

उवाचsaid

आसीत्there was

पूर्वम्formerly, earlier

महाराजO great king

मुनिःa sage

धीमान्wise, intelligent

महातपाःof great austerity

दधीचःDadhichi

इतिthus, by the name

विख्यातःrenowned, well-known

ब्रह्मचारीa celibate student (brahmacharin)

जितेन्द्रियःone who has conquered his senses

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Mahārāja (the king addressed, i.e., Janamejaya in the frame narrative)

Sage Dadhīca

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 foregrounds ethical authority rooted in tapas (austerity), brahmacarya (disciplined celibacy), and jitendriyatā (sense-mastery), presenting Dadhīca as a model of inner restraint and spiritual strength.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana, addressing the king in the epic’s frame dialogue, introduces an earlier sage named Dadhīca—renowned for great austerities and strict self-control—setting up a subsequent episode or exemplum involving him.