Shloka 9

Devanagari script

पुनरुक्त्वा च करुणां वाचं तौ शोककर्शितौ | हा पुत्र हा साध्वि वधू: क्वासि क्वासीत्यरोदताम्‌ | ब्राह्मण: सत्यवाक्‌ तेषामुवाचेदं तयोवच:,वे शोककातर दम्पति बारंबार करुण वचन बोलते हुए 'हा पुत्र! हा सती-साध्वी बहू! तुम कहाँ हो, कहाँ हो?' यों कहकर रोने लगे। उस समय एक सत्यवादी ब्राह्मणने उन दोनोंसे इस प्रकार कहा

Transliteration

punar uktvā ca karuṇāṃ vācaṃ tau śokakarśitau | hā putra hā sādhvi vadhūḥ kvāsi kvāsīti arodhatām | brāhmaṇaḥ satyavāk teṣām uvācedaṃ tayor vacaḥ ||

Translation

ശോകത്തിൽ ക്ഷീണിച്ച ആ ഇരുവരും വീണ്ടും വീണ്ടും കരുണാവാക്കുകൾ ഉച്ചരിച്ച് കരഞ്ഞു—“ഹാ പുത്രാ! ഹാ സാധ്വിയായ മരുമകളേ! നീ എവിടെ, എവിടെ?” അപ്പോൾ അവരുടെ വിലാപം കേട്ട് സത്യവാദിയായ ഒരു ബ്രാഹ്മണൻ അവരോട് ഇങ്ങനെ പറഞ്ഞു.

Word by Word

• [{'term': 'punar', 'definition': 'again, repeatedly'}, {'term': 'uktvā', 'definition': 'having said, after speaking'}, {'term': 'karuṇā (vācaṃ)', 'definition': 'piteous, compassionate (speech)

• lamenting words'}, {'term': 'tau', 'definition': 'those two (a pair

• here the couple)'}, {'term': 'śoka-karśita', 'definition': 'worn down/afflicted by grief'}, {'term': 'hā', 'definition': 'alas! (cry of lament)'}, {'term': 'putra', 'definition': 'son'}, {'term': 'sādhvī', 'definition': 'virtuous woman

• chaste, good, devoted'}, {'term': 'vadhūḥ', 'definition': 'daughter-in-law

• bride'}, {'term': 'kvāsi / kvāsi iti', 'definition': 'where are you? (repeated call)'}, {'term': 'arodhatām', 'definition': 'they two wept/cried'}, {'term': 'brāhmaṇaḥ', 'definition': 'a brāhmaṇa (priestly/learned man)'}, {'term': 'satyavāk', 'definition': 'truth-speaking

• one whose speech is truthful'}, {'term': 'uvāca', 'definition': 'said, spoke'}, {'term': 'tayor vacaḥ', 'definition': 'their words

Speaker

मार्कण्डेय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• a grieving couple (tau dāmpatī implied)
• son (putra)
• virtuous daughter-in-law (sādhvī vadhūḥ)
• a truth-speaking brāhmaṇa (brāhmaṇaḥ satyavāk)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse contrasts overpowering grief with the ethical steadiness of satya (truth): in moments of loss, truthful and wise counsel is portrayed as a guiding support that can reorient those overwhelmed by sorrow.

What is happening in the narrative?

A grief-stricken couple repeatedly cries out for their missing son and virtuous daughter-in-law, weeping aloud. At that moment, a truth-speaking brāhmaṇa approaches and begins to address them in response to their lament.