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:,“इस प्रकार यद्यपि देवापि उदार, धर्मज्ञ, सत्यप्रतिज्ञ तथा प्रजाओंके प्रिय थे, तथापि पूर्वोक्त चर्मरोगके कारण दूषित मान लिये गये

Transliteration

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

Translation

Assim, embora fosse generoso, conhecedor do dharma, firme na verdade e até amado pelo povo, passou a ser tido por maculado por causa da doença de pele mencionada anteriormente.

Word by Word

एवम्thus, in this manner

वदान्यःgenerous, liberal

धर्मज्ञःknower of dharma

सत्यसन्धःtrue to his vow, of firm truth-pledge

सःhe

अभवत्was, became

प्रियःdear, beloved

प्रजानाम्of the subjects/people

अपिalso, even

संस्त्वग्दोषेणby a skin-disease (leprosy-like ailment)

प्रदूषितःtainted, defiled

Speaker

वायुदेव उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vāyudeva (speaker)

prajāḥ (the people/subjects)

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?

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.