Shloka 22

Chapter 2: Sudarśana Upākhyāna — Atithi-Dharma and the Conquest of Mṛtyu

Gṛhastha-Vrata

Devanagari script

दरिद्रश्चनासवर्णश्र॒ ममायमिति पार्थिव: । न दित्सति सुतां तस्मै तां विप्राय सुदर्शनाम्‌

Transliteration

daridraś cānāsavarṇaś ca mamāyam iti pārthivaḥ | na ditsati sutāṃ tasmai tāṃ viprāya sudarśanām ||

Translation

ビーシュマは言った。王は「この男は貧しく、しかも我が身と同じヴァルナ（身分）ではない」と思い、容姿すぐれた娘スダルシャナーをそのバラモンに嫁がせようとはしなかった。

Word by Word

• दरिद्रः: poor
• दरिद्रः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दरिद्र
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• असवर्णः: of a different varna/caste
• असवर्णः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: असवर्ण
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• मम: of me / my
• मम: Adhikarana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: Genitive, Singular

• अयम्: this (man)
• अयम्: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: इदम्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• इति: thus (thinking/quoting)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति

• पार्थिवः: the king
• पार्थिवः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार्थिव
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• दित्सति: wishes to give / intends to give
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (ददाति)
• Form: Present, Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

• सुताम्: daughter
• सुताम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुता
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• तस्मै: to him
• तस्मै: Sampradana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Dative, Singular

• ताम्: her / that (daughter)
• ताम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• विप्राय: to the brahmin
• विप्राय: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र
• Form: Masculine, Dative, Singular

• सुदर्शनाम्: Sudarsanā (the fair-looking one)
• सुदर्शनाम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुदर्शना
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• the king (pārthiva)
• the brāhmaṇa (vipra)
• Sudarśanā

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse critiques exclusion based on poverty and varṇa-identification: a ruler’s attachment to status (“not of my class”) can lead to adharma by denying a worthy match or failing in generosity and fairness.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhīṣma narrates that a king refuses to give his daughter Sudarśanā to a brāhmaṇa because he considers the man poor and not of the same varṇa as himself.