Shloka 373

Vṛddha-kanyā-carita and Balarāma’s Kurukṣetra Inquiry (वृद्धकन्या-चरितम् / कुरुक्षेत्रफल-प्रश्नः)

Devanagari script

वृत्त्यर्थ प्राद्रवन्‌ राजन क्षुधार्ता: सर्वतोदिशम्‌ । नरेश्वर! बारह वर्षोकी उस अनावृष्टिमें सब महर्षि भूखसे पीड़ित हो जीविकाके लिये सम्पूर्ण दिशाओंमें दौड़ने लगे

Transliteration

vṛttyarthaṃ prādravan rājan kṣudhārtāḥ sarvatodiśam | nareśvara! bāraha varṣokī us anāvṛṣṭimeṃ sab maharṣi bhūkhase pīḍita ho jīvikāke liye sampūrṇa diśāoṃmeṃ dauṛne lage |

Translation

వైశంపాయనుడు పలికెను—నరేశ్వరా! ఆ పన్నెండు సంవత్సరాల అనావృష్టిలో మహర్షులు కూడా క్షుధతో బాధపడుతూ జీవనోపాధి కోసం అన్ని దిశలకూ పరుగెత్తారు.

Word by Word

• वृत्त्यर्थम्: for livelihood
• वृत्त्यर्थम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृत्ति + अर्थ
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• प्राद्रवन्: ran forth
• प्राद्रवन्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: द्रु (धावने)
• Form: Imperfect (Lan), Third, Plural

• राजन्: O king
• राजन्: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन्
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• क्षुधा-आर्ताः: afflicted by hunger
• क्षुधा-आर्ताः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: क्षुधा + आर्त
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• सर्वतः: on all sides / everywhere
• सर्वतः: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सर्वतः

• दिशम्: direction
• दिशम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिश्
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśaṃpāyana
• King (Janamejaya, implied addressee)
• Maharṣis (great sages)
• Anāvṛṣṭi (twelve-year drought)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even the most disciplined and spiritually advanced are not exempt from basic human needs; dharma includes compassionate realism—society and rulers must recognize vulnerability during calamities and support the sustenance of all, including ascetics.

What is happening in the narrative?

During a prolonged drought lasting twelve years, hunger spreads so severely that the great sages themselves scatter and hurry in all directions seeking means of livelihood, and Vaiśaṃpāyana reports this to the king.