Shloka 44

Devanagari script

आत्मानुमानतो विद्वान्‌ स तु विप्रर्षभस्तदा । जानन वृद्धां क्षुधार्ता च श्रान्तां ग्लानां तपस्विनीम्‌

Transliteration

ātmānumānato vidvān sa tu viprarṣabhas tadā | jānan vṛddhāṃ kṣudhārtāṃ ca śrāntāṃ glānāṃ tapasvinīm ||

Translation

Накула сказал: «Тот мудрец, бык среди брахманов, судя по собственному опыту, тогда узнал подвижницу — старую, терзаемую голодом, изнурённую и обессиленную. Увидев её состояние, он понял её страдание и осознал нравственную неотложность ответить состраданием и должным исполнением долга.»

Word by Word

आत्मानुमानतःby self-inference / from inference about himself

विद्वान्the wise man

सःhe

तुbut/indeed

विप्रर्षभःthe best of Brahmins

तदाthen

जानन्knowing/recognizing

वृद्धाम्aged/old

क्षुधाwith hunger

आर्ताम्distressed/afflicted

चand

श्रान्ताम्weary

ग्लानाम्exhausted/feeble

तपस्विनीम्the ascetic woman

Speaker

नकुल उवाच

Characters & Entities

Nakula

viprarṣabha (a distinguished brāhmaṇa, unnamed)

tapasvinī (an aged female ascetic, unnamed)

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 ethical empathy: a truly wise person infers another’s suffering by reflecting on one’s own experience (ātmānumānataḥ) and recognizes the dharmic need to respond compassionately—especially toward vulnerable ascetics.

What is happening in the narrative?

Nakula describes a learned brāhmaṇa who, upon seeing an aged female ascetic weakened by hunger and fatigue, recognizes her distressed state. The scene sets up a dharma-driven response—care, aid, or hospitality—toward the tapasvinī.