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

Di sana, pada zaman purba, ketika kemarau berpanjangan selama dua belas tahun, resi Sārasvata mengajarkan Veda kepada yang terbaik antara golongan dwija. Petikan ini menegaskan bahawa walaupun di tengah bencana yang lama, pemeliharaan dan pewarisan ilmu suci melalui pengajaran yang berdisiplin tetap menjadi kewajipan yang meneguhkan kehidupan.

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.