Shloka 37

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

Devanagari script

तस्यां द्वादशवार्षिक्यामनावृष्ट्यां महर्षय:

Transliteration

tasyāṁ dvādaśavārṣikyām anāvṛṣṭyāṁ maharṣayaḥ

Translation

វៃសម្បាយណៈបាននិយាយថា៖ ក្នុងរយៈពេលរាំងស្ងួតដប់ពីរឆ្នាំនោះ ព្រះឥសីធំៗ (មហាឥសី) ក៏រងទុក្ខរួមជាមួយលោកទាំងមូល—ហេតុការណ៍មួយដែលបង្ហាញថា ទុក្ខវេទនាជាការសាកល្បងរួម និងរំលេចភាពបន្ទាន់ខាងសីលធម៌ក្នុងការរក្សា ធម្មៈ (dharma) នៅពេលធម្មជាតិដកហូតការគាំទ្ររបស់វា។

Word by Word

तस्याम्in that (situation/time)

द्वादशवार्षिक्याम्lasting twelve years (fem. loc.)

अनावृष्ट्याम्in the drought / in the absence of rain

महर्षयःgreat sages

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Maharṣis (great seers)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse signals that prolonged drought is not merely a physical calamity but a dharmic crisis affecting even sages; it underscores the ethical demand to preserve right conduct, compassion, and social responsibility when resources collapse.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana introduces a setting of a twelve-year rainless period (anāvṛṣṭi), indicating widespread distress in which the maharṣis too are involved—preparing the listener for events shaped by famine conditions.