Shloka 18

Vyāsa’s Inquiry into Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Tapas and the Identification of Vidura with Dharma

Devanagari script

मातरौ ते तथैवेमे शीर्णपर्णकृताशने । मम तुल्यव्रते पुत्र न चिरं वर्तयिष्यत:,बेटा! मेरी ही तरह तुम्हारी ये दोनों माताएँ भी व्रत धारणपूर्वक सूखे पत्ते चबाकर रहा करती हैं। अब ये अधिक दिनोंतक जीवन धारण नहीं कर सकतीं

Transliteration

mātarau te tathaiveme śīrṇaparṇakṛtāśane | mama tulyavrate putra na ciraṁ vartayiṣyataḥ ||

Translation

కుమారా, నీ ఈ ఇద్దరు తల్లులు కూడా నా వ్రతముతో సమానమైన వ్రతంలో నిలిచి, ఎండిన ఆకులను నమిలి జీవనాన్ని సాగిస్తున్నారు. వారు ఎక్కువకాలం ప్రాణధారణ చేయలేరు.

Word by Word

मातरौtwo mothers

तेof you/your

तथाthus; in the same way

एवindeed; just

इमेthese (two)

शीर्णपर्णकृताशनेin the observance of eating made of withered leaves

ममof me/my

तुल्यव्रतेO you of vows like mine

पुत्रO son

नnot

चिरम्for long

वर्तयिष्यतःwill continue/live on

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

two mothers (unnamed in this verse)

withered leaves (śīrṇaparṇa)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the dharma of ascetic restraint: steadfast vows and simple subsistence can embody spiritual resolve, yet they also remind one of bodily impermanence. Ethical maturity lies in honoring such renunciation while recognizing the limits of the human frame.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana reports that the listener’s two mothers are living in the forest under severe vows, eating only withered leaves like the speaker. He adds a grave warning that they are unlikely to survive much longer under such austerity.