Shloka 20
Vāraṇāvata-prasaṃsā and the Pāṇḍavas’ Departure (वरणावत-प्रशंसा तथा पाण्डव-प्रयाणम्)
ते5पश्यन् ब्राह्मणं श्याममापन्नं पलितं कृशम् । कृत्यवन्तमदूरस्थमग्निहोत्रपुरस्कृतम्,इसी समय उन्होंने एक श्याम वर्णके ब्राह्मणको थोड़ी ही दूरपर बैठे देखा, जो अग्निहोत्र करके किसी प्रयोजनसे वहाँ रुके हुए थे। वे आपत्तिग्रस्त जान पड़ते थे। उनके सिरके बाल सफेद हो गये थे और शरीर अत्यन्त दुर्बल था
te ’paśyan brāhmaṇaṁ śyāmam āpannaṁ palitaṁ kṛśam | kṛtyavantaṁ adūrastham agnihotra-puraskṛtam ||
そのとき彼らは、さほど遠くないところに、肌の黒いブラーフマナが座しているのを見とめた――彼はアグニホートラ（agnihotra）を終えたばかりで、何らかの用向きのためにそこに留まっていた。彼は苦境にあるように見えた。髪は白くなり、身体はひどくやせ衰えていた。この光景は、苦しむ祭式者に出会うことの倫理的な重みを静かに浮かび上がらせ、ダルマと慈悲に基づく応答を促している。
वैशग्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights a dharmic moment: encountering a person who has upheld ritual duty (agnihotra) yet is visibly afflicted. It implicitly calls for compassionate, righteous conduct toward the vulnerable—especially toward a brāhmaṇa engaged in sacred obligations—showing that dharma includes both ritual and humane response.
The narrating voice reports that the group sees, nearby, a dark-complexioned brāhmaṇa who has performed the agnihotra and remains there for some purpose. His grey hair and extreme thinness mark him as distressed, setting up an impending interaction or moral decision by the onlookers.