Shloka 13

Devanagari script

वसुवर्मधरं दृष्टवा तं बाल हेमकुण्डलम्‌ । नामास्य वसुषेणेति ततश्नक्रुर्द्धिजातय:,तदनन्तर वसु (सुवर्ण) मय कवच धारण किये तथा सोनेके ही कुण्डल पहने हुए उस बालकको देखकर ब्राह्मणोंने उसका नाम “वसुषेण” रखा

Transliteration

vasuvarmadharaṃ dṛṣṭvā taṃ bālaṃ hemakuṇḍalam | nāmāsya vasuṣeṇeti tataś cakrur dvijātayaḥ ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana berkata: Melihat budak itu bersalut baju zirah yang seakan-akan terbit bersama tubuhnya dan bertelinga subang emas, golongan dwija (para brāhmaṇa) pun menamainya “Vasuṣeṇa”.

Word by Word

वसुवर्मधरम्wearing a golden armor

दृष्ट्वाhaving seen

तम्him/that (boy)

बालम्the boy

हेमकुण्डलम्wearing golden earrings

नामname

अस्यof him

वसुषेणVasuṣeṇa (proper name)

इतिthus/so (quotative)

ततःthen/thereupon

चक्रुःthey made/they gave (a name)

द्विजातयःthe twice-born (brahmins)

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśaṃpāyana

dvijātayaḥ (brāhmaṇas)

Vasuṣeṇa (name given to the boy)

varman (kavaca/armor)

hemakuṇḍala (golden earrings)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how extraordinary qualities are interpreted as auspicious and how a community assigns identity through naming. Ethically, it points to the tension between innate endowment and social recognition: a person may bear remarkable gifts, yet their place in dharma is negotiated through societal acts like naming and acceptance.

What is happening in the narrative?

The brāhmaṇas see a child wearing a natural coat of mail and golden earrings. Struck by these signs, they give him the name “Vasuṣeṇa,” formally marking him with an identity that reflects his apparent splendor and exceptional nature.