Shloka 52
Vāraṇāvata-prasaṃsā and the Pāṇḍavas’ Departure (वरणावत-प्रशंसा तथा पाण्डव-प्रयाणम्)
न सनातको<5वसीदेत वर्तमान: स्वकर्मसु । इति संचिन्त्य मनसा तं॑ देशं बहुशो भ्रमन्,मैंने मन-ही-मन सोचा, यदि मैं किसी कम गायवाले ब्राह्मणसे गाय माँगता हूँ तो कहीं ऐसा न हो कि वह अपने अग्निहोत्र आदि कर्मोंमें लगा हुआ स्नातक गोदुग्धके बिना कष्टमें पड़ जाय; अतः जिसके पास बहुत-सी गौएँ हों, उसीसे धर्मानुकूल विशुद्ध दान लेनेकी इच्छा रखकर मैंने उस देशमें कई बार भ्रमण किया। गंगानन्दन! एक देशसे दूसरे देशमें घूमनेपर भी मुझे दूध देनेवाली कोई गाय न मिल सकी
na sanātako’vasīdet vartamānaḥ svakarmasu | iti sañcintya manasā taṃ deśaṃ bahuśo bhraman |
Vaiśampāyana said: “A snātaka, engaged in his own prescribed rites, should not be brought to distress. Thinking thus within my mind, I wandered through that region again and again, wishing to accept a pure, dharma-conforming gift only from one who possessed many cows—lest, by asking a poor brāhmaṇa for a cow, he should suffer for want of milk while performing his agnihotra and other duties.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
One should seek one’s needs in a way that does not cause hardship to a duty-bound person; even a legitimate request (like asking for a cow) becomes adharmic if it disrupts another’s obligatory rites and livelihood.
The speaker explains his inner deliberation: he avoids asking a poor brāhmaṇa for a cow, fearing it would deprive him of milk needed for agnihotra and daily observances, and therefore keeps roaming in search of a suitable donor who has many cows.