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

പുരാതനകാലത്ത് അവിടെ പന്ത്രണ്ടുവർഷം മഴയില്ലായ്മ ഉണ്ടായപ്പോൾ സാരസ്വത മുനി ശ്രേഷ്ഠ ദ്വിജന്മാർക്ക് വേദങ്ങൾ അധ്യാപനം ചെയ്തു.

Word by Word

तत्रthere

द्वादशवार्षिक्याम्in the twelve-year (period)

अनावृष्ट्याम्in the drought / in the absence of rain

द्विजोत्तमान्the best Brahmins

वेदान्the Vedas

अध्यापयामासtaught / caused to study

पुराformerly / in ancient times

सारस्वतःSarasvata (descendant of Sarasvatī / named Sarasvata)

मुनिःthe sage

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Sārasvata Muni

dvijottamāḥ (excellent Brahmins)

Vedas

anāvṛṣṭi (twelve-year drought)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

That sustaining dharma includes safeguarding and transmitting sacred learning even in times of severe hardship; disciplined teaching becomes a form of cultural and spiritual resilience.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana recalls an ancient episode: during a twelve-year drought, the sage Sārasvata instructed eminent Brahmins in Vedic study, ensuring continuity of the Vedic tradition despite crisis.