Shloka 3

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

Devanagari script

तत्र द्वादशवार्षिक्यामनावृष्ट्यां द्विजोत्तमान्‌ | वेदानध्यापयामास पुरा सारस्वतो मुनि:,प्राचीनकालमें जब बारह वर्षोंतक अनावृष्टि हो गयी थी, सारस्वत मुनिने वहीं उत्तम ब्राह्मणोंको वेदाध्ययन कराया था

Transliteration

tatra dvādaśavārṣikyām anāvṛṣṭyāṁ dvijottamān | vedān adhyāpayām āsa purā sārasvato muniḥ ||

Translation

There, in ancient times, when a drought lasting twelve years had occurred, the sage Sārasvata taught the Vedas to the best of the twice-born. The passage highlights how, even amid prolonged calamity, the preservation and transmission of sacred knowledge through disciplined teaching remains a sustaining duty.

Word by Word

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र

• द्वादशवार्षिक्याम्: in the twelve-year (period)
• द्वादशवार्षिक्याम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वादशवार्षिकी
• Form: Feminine, Locative, Singular

• अनावृष्ट्याम्: in the drought / in the absence of rain
• अनावृष्ट्याम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनावृष्टि
• Form: Feminine, Locative, Singular

• द्विजोत्तमान्: the best Brahmins
• द्विजोत्तमान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विजोत्तम
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• वेदान्: the Vedas
• वेदान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेद
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• अध्यापयामास: taught / caused to study
• Type: Verb
• Root: अधि-√इ (अध्यापयति)
• Form: Perfect (Paroksha), Third, Singular

• पुरा: formerly / in ancient times
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरा

• सारस्वतः: Sarasvata (descendant of Sarasvatī / named Sarasvata)
• सारस्वतः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सारस्वत
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• मुनिः: the sage
• मुनिः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Sārasvata Muni
• dvijottamāḥ (excellent Brahmins)
• Vedas
• anāvṛṣṭi (twelve-year drought)