Shloka 15

Ādi Parva, Adhyāya 158 — Aṅgāraparṇa-saṃvāda and Gaṅgā-tīrtha Saṃghaṭṭa

Encounter at the Gaṅgā ford

Devanagari script

कथं शक्ष्यामि बाले5स्मिन्‌ गुणानाधातुमीप्सितान्‌ । अनाथे सर्वतो लुप्ते यथा त्वं धर्मदर्शिवान्‌,आप धर्मके ज्ञाता हैं, आप जैसे अपने बालकको सदगुणी बना सकते हैं, उस प्रकार मैं आपके न रहनेपर सब ओरसे आश्रयहीन हुए इस अनाथ बालकमें वांछनीय उत्तम गुणोंका आधान कैसे कर सकूँगी

Transliteration

kathaṁ śakṣyāmi bāle 'smin guṇān ādhātum īpsitān | anāthe sarvato lupte yathā tvaṁ dharmadarśivān ||

Translation

“How shall I be able to instill the desired virtues in this child? When you are no longer here, and he becomes an orphan—bereft of support on every side—how can I shape him into the noble qualities you, a seer and knower of dharma, would have given him?”

Word by Word

कथम्how?

शक्ष्यामिshall I be able

बालेin (this) child

अस्मिन्in this

गुणान्qualities, virtues

आधातुम्to place/instill

ईप्सितान्desired

अनाथेin (one who is) without protector; orphaned

सर्वतःon all sides; entirely

लुप्तेdeprived, bereft (of support)

यथाas, in the way that

त्वम्you

धर्मदर्शिवान्one who sees/knows dharma; righteous-minded

Speaker

ब्राह्मण उवाच

Characters & Entities

brāhmaṇa (speaker)

bāla (the child)

dharma (as principle/authority)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Geographic Context

Sandhi Notes