Shloka 22

Ādi-parva Adhyāya 3 — Janamejaya’s Rite, Dhaumya’s Parīkṣā, and Uttanka’s Kuṇḍala Quest (सर्पसत्रप्रस्तावना–गुरुपरीक्षा–उत्तङ्कोपाख्यान)

Devanagari script

स एकं शिष्यमारुणिं पाज्चाल्यं प्रेषयामास गच्छ केदारखण्डं बधानेति,एक दिन उपाध्यायने अपने एक शिष्य पांचालदेशवासी आरुणिको खेतपर भेजा और कहा--“वत्स! जाओ, क्यारियोंकी टूटी हुई मेड़ बाँध दो”

Transliteration

sa ekaṁ śiṣyam āruṇiṁ pāñcālyaṁ preṣayāmāsa—gaccha kedārakhaṇḍaṁ badhāneti.

Translation

ఒక రోజు ఉపాధ్యాయుడు పాంచాలదేశవాసి అయిన శిష్యుడు ఆరుణిని పొలానికి పంపి ఇలా అన్నాడు—“వత్సా! వెళ్లి పొలంలోని కట్టలు (మెడలు) తెగిపోయిన చోటు కట్టి బాగుచేయి.”

Word by Word

सःhe

एकम्one

शिष्यम्disciple

आरुणिम्Āruṇi (proper name)

पाञ्चाल्यम्a Pāñcāla (man of Pāñcāla country)

प्रेषयामासsent

गच्छgo

केदारखण्डम्a section/plot of the field (kedar-plot)

बधानbind, repair (tie up)

इतिthus (quotative)

Speaker

राम उवाच

Characters & Entities

Rāma (speaker as given)

Āruṇi

Pāñcāla (region/people)

kedāra (field)

kedārakhaṇḍa (field-plot/section)

embankment/bund (implied by ‘badhāna’ in context)

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights guru-śiṣya dharma: a student learns character through practical service—prompt obedience, diligence, and taking responsibility for protecting shared work (here, the field’s embankment).

What is happening in the narrative?

A teacher assigns his disciple Āruṇi, a Pāñcāla youth, to go to the cultivated plots and repair the broken bund/embankment—an everyday task used as a test of discipline and commitment.