Shloka 27

Devanagari script

कदाचिद्‌ धर्मिणस्तस्य दुर्भिक्षे सति दारुणे,ब्राह्मणो! सुनो। एक समय वहाँ बड़ा भयंकर अकाल पड़ा। उन दिनों उन धर्मात्मा ब्राह्मणके पास अन्नका संग्रह तो था नहीं, खेतोंका अन्न भी सूख गया था। अतः वे सर्वथा निर्धन हो गये थे

Transliteration

kadācid dharmiṇas tasya durbhikṣe sati dāruṇe brāhmaṇaḥ

Translation

Nakula said: Once, when a dreadful famine arose, that righteous brāhmaṇa found himself in extreme distress. With no stored grain and with the crops in the fields dried up, he became utterly impoverished—setting the stage for a moral test of endurance and dharma amid scarcity.

Word by Word

कदाचित्once, at some time

धर्मिणःof the righteous (man)

तस्यof him, his

दुर्भिक्षेin famine

सतिbeing, existing (when there was)

दारुणेterrible, dreadful

ब्राह्मणःa Brahmin

Speaker

नकुल उवाच

Characters & Entities

Nakula

Brāhmaṇa

famine (durbhikṣa)

grain/food (implied)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse frames famine and poverty as a crucible for dharma: righteousness is not merely prosperity-based but is tested when resources vanish, inviting reflection on steadfastness, restraint, and ethical conduct under hardship.

What is happening in the narrative?

Nakula begins recounting an episode about a righteous brāhmaṇa during a severe famine. With no stored grain and crops ruined, the brāhmaṇa becomes completely poor, preparing the narrative for subsequent choices and their moral implications.