Shloka 24

Udyoga Parva, Adhyāya 148: Vāsudeva’s Report—Mobilization and the Nīti Sequence

Sāma–Bheda–Daṇḍa

Devanagari script

एवं वदान्यो धर्मज्ञ: सत्यसंधश्न सो5भवत्‌ । प्रिय: प्रजानामपि संस्त्वग्दोषेण प्रदूषित:

Transliteration

evaṁ vadānyo dharmajñaḥ satyasaṅdhaś ca so 'bhavat | priyaḥ prajānām api sa tvagdoṣeṇa pradūṣitaḥ ||

Translation

ଏଭଳି ସେ ଦାନଶୀଳ, ଧର୍ମଜ୍ଞ, ସତ୍ୟସଙ୍କଳ୍ପ ଏବଂ ପ୍ରଜାମାନଙ୍କ ପ୍ରିୟ ଥିଲେ; ତଥାପି ଚର୍ମରୋଗର ଦୋଷରେ ସେ ଦୂଷିତ ବୋଲି ଧରାଗଲେ।

Word by Word

• एवम्: thus, in this manner
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम्

• वदान्यः: generous, liberal
• वदान्यः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वदान्य
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• धर्मज्ञः: knower of dharma
• धर्मज्ञः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धर्मज्ञ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• सत्यसन्धः: true to his vow, of firm truth-pledge
• सत्यसन्धः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सत्यसन्ध
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• सः: he
• सः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• अभवत्: was, became
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू
• Form: Imperfect (Laṅ), 3rd, Singular

• प्रियः: dear, beloved
• प्रियः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रिय
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• प्रजानाम्: of the subjects/people
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रजा
• Form: Feminine, Genitive, Plural

• अपि: also, even
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि

• संस्त्वग्दोषेण: by a skin-disease (leprosy-like ailment)
• संस्त्वग्दोषेण: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: संस्त्वग्दोष
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• प्रदूषितः: tainted, defiled
• प्रदूषितः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रदूषित
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

वायुदेव उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vāyudeva (speaker)
• prajāḥ (the people/subjects)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Inner virtues—generosity, knowledge of dharma, and fidelity to truth—do not necessarily protect one from social stigma; ethical discernment requires looking beyond external conditions and bodily afflictions.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vāyudeva describes a person who possessed exemplary moral qualities and was loved by the people, yet due to a previously mentioned skin ailment he was viewed as ‘tainted,’ highlighting the tension between public perception and true merit.