Shloka 44

Devanagari script

चक्रे चात्मविनाशाय बुद्धिं स मुनिसत्तम: । न त्वेव कौशिकोच्छेदं मेने मतिमतां वर:,उस समय (अपनी पुत्रवधुओंके दुःखसे दुःखित हो) वसिष्ठने अपने शरीरको त्याग देनेका विचार कर लिया; परंतु विश्वामित्रका मूलोच्छेद करनेकी बात बुद्धि-मानोंमें श्रेष्ठ मुनिवर वसिष्ठके मनमें ही नहीं आयी

Transliteration

cakre cātmavināśāya buddhiṁ sa munisattamaḥ | na tveva kauśikocchedaṁ mene matimatāṁ varaḥ ||

Translation

तब मुनिश्रेष्ठ वसिष्ठ ने आत्मविनाश का विचार कर लिया; पर बुद्धिमानों में श्रेष्ठ उस महर्षि के मन में कौशिक (विश्वामित्र) का मूलोच्छेद करने की बात तनिक भी न आई।

Word by Word

चक्रेmade, formed (resolved)

चand

आत्मविनाशायfor self-destruction

बुद्धिम्intention, resolve

सःhe

मुनिसत्तमःthe best of sages

नnot

तुbut

एवindeed, at all

कौशिकोच्छेदम्the extermination of Kaushika (Viśvāmitra)

मेनेthought, considered

मतिमताम्of the intelligent (people)

वरःthe best, the foremost

Speaker

ब्राह्मण उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vasiṣṭha

Kauśika (Viśvāmitra)

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?

Even in extreme grief, a dharmic person restrains hostile intent: Vasiṣṭha may fall into despair about his own life, but he does not cultivate the destructive wish to annihilate his rival. The verse upholds non-malevolence and self-control over vengeance.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the aftermath of suffering connected with his family (as implied by the surrounding narrative), Vasiṣṭha forms a resolve toward self-destruction. However, he does not consider ‘uccheda’—the total extermination—of Kauśika (Viśvāmitra), indicating his refusal to retaliate with annihilating hatred.