Shloka 4

आरण्यकपर्वणि अध्यायः २१६ — इन्द्र-स्कन्द-संमुखता वज्रप्रहारश्च

Indra approaches Skanda; vajra strike and the arising of Viśākha

Devanagari script

ब्राह्मण उवाच पतिव्रताया: सत्याया: शीलाढ्याया यतव्रत । संस्मृत्य वाक्‍्यं धर्मज्ञ गुणवानसि मे मत:,ब्राह्मण बोला--उत्तम व्रतका पालन करनेवाले धर्मज्ञ व्याध! उस सत्यपरायणा और सुशीला पतिव्रता-देवीके वचनोंका स्मरण करके मुझे यह दृढ़ विश्वास हो गया है कि तुम उत्तम गुणोंसे सम्पन्न हो

Transliteration

brāhmaṇa uvāca | pativratāyāḥ satyāyāḥ śīlāḍhyāyā yatavratāḥ | saṃsmṛtya vākyaṃ dharmajña guṇavān asi me mataḥ ||

Translation

బ్రాహ్మణుడు అన్నాడు—హే నియమవంతుడా! ఆ సత్యనిష్ఠ, సుశీల, పతివ్రతా స్త్రీ మాటలను స్మరించుకొని నాకు దృఢ నిశ్చయం కలిగింది—నీవు ధర్మజ్ఞుడవు; నా అభిప్రాయంలో నీవు శ్రేష్ఠ గుణసంపన్నుడవు।

Word by Word

ब्राह्मणःthe Brahmin

उवाचsaid

पतिव्रतायाःof the devoted-to-husband woman

सत्यायाःof the truthful one

शीलाढ्यायाःof the virtuous/character-rich one

यतव्रतO one of restrained vows

संस्मृत्यhaving remembered

वाक्यम्the statement/words

धर्मज्ञO knower of dharma

गुणवान्virtuous, possessing good qualities

असिyou are

मेof me / to me

मतःopinion, conviction

Speaker

ब्राह्मण उवाच

Characters & Entities

Brāhmaṇa (the inquirer)

Pativratā (the devoted wife)

Vyādha (the hunter/butcher addressed as dharmajña)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

True dharma and virtue are recognized through conduct and insight, not social status; the brāhmaṇa acknowledges the vyādha’s moral excellence based on the pativratā’s truthful, virtuous counsel.

What is happening in the narrative?

After hearing and recalling the devoted wife’s words, the brāhmaṇa turns to the vyādha and expresses his settled judgment that the vyādha is a genuine knower of dharma and possesses noble qualities.