Shloka 23

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

Devanagari script

पुण्याभ्यश्व सरिद्धयस्त्वं सदा पुण्यतमा शुभे

Transliteration

puṇyābhyāśva sariddhayas tvaṃ sadā puṇyatamā śubhe

Translation

Vaiśampāyana berkata: “Wahai wanita yang membawa tuah, engkau sentiasa yang paling utama dalam kebajikan—mendekatimu sahaja sudah mendatangkan kesucian dan kesejahteraan, laksana sungai-sungai suci yang mengurniakan penyucian.”

Word by Word

पुण्याभिःby/with meritorious (things/acts)

अश्वO horse

सरिद्धयःriver-successes / prosperities like rivers (i.e., abundant prosperities)

त्वम्you

सदाalways

पुण्यतमाmost meritorious / very auspicious

शुभेO auspicious one

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the ethical idea that true auspiciousness is measured by puṇya (merit): a person of steady virtue becomes a source of purification and well-being for others, comparable to sacred rivers.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana, as narrator, addresses an auspicious female figure with reverent praise, emphasizing her constant holiness and the beneficial, purifying effect of her presence.