Shloka 22

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

Devanagari script

सारस्वत इति ख्यातो भविष्यति महातपा: । एष द्वादशवार्षिक्यामनावृष्ट्यां द्विजर्षभान्‌

Transliteration

sārasvata iti khyāto bhaviṣyati mahātapāḥ | eṣa dvādaśavārṣikyām anāvṛṣṭyāṃ dvijarṣabhān

Translation

ಈ ಮಹಾತಪಸ್ವಿ ‘ಸಾರಸ್ವತ’ ಎಂಬ ಹೆಸರಿನಿಂದ ಪ್ರಸಿದ್ಧನಾಗುವನು. ಹನ್ನೆರಡು ವರ್ಷದ ಅನಾವೃಷ್ಟಿಯ ಕಾಲದಲ್ಲಿ ಅವನು ಶ್ರೇಷ್ಠ ದ್ವಿಜರನ್ನು (ಬ್ರಾಹ್ಮಣರನ್ನು) ಪೋಷಿಸುವನು.

Word by Word

• सारस्वतः: Sārasvata (name/epithet)
• सारस्वतः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: सारस्वत
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• इति: thus; as
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति

• ख्यातः: known; famed; called
• ख्यातः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ख्यात
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• भविष्यति: will be; will become
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू
• Form: Simple Future (Luṭ), Third, Singular

• महातपाः: a great ascetic (one of great austerity)
• महातपाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: महातपस्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• एषः: this (man)
• एषः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: एतद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• 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

• द्विजर्षभान्: the best of the twice-born (brahmins)
• द्विजर्षभान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विजर्षभ
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Sārasvata
• Sarasvatī (implied by the epithet)
• dvijarṣabhas (foremost brāhmaṇas)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights dharma expressed as compassionate responsibility: a truly great ascetic is not only austere but also becomes a support for the learned and vulnerable during crisis, thereby safeguarding sacred knowledge and social order.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana foretells the fame of an ascetic called Sārasvata and indicates that during a severe twelve-year drought he will sustain and protect eminent brāhmaṇas.