Shloka 20

Āṇīmāṇḍavya–Upākhyāna

The Account of Āṇīmāṇḍavya and the Birth of Vidura

Devanagari script

स समा: षोडशाष्टौ च चतस्रोषष्टौ तथापरा: । रतिमप्राप्रुवन्‌ स्त्रीषु बभूव वनगोचर:,राजा शान्तनु सोलह, आठ, चार और आठ कुल छत्तीस वर्षोतक स्त्रीविषयक अनुरागका अनुभव न करते हुए वनमें रहे

Transliteration

sa samāḥ ṣoḍaśāṣṭau ca catasroṣaṣṭau tathāparāḥ | ratim aprāpruvan strīṣu babhūva vanagocaraḥ ||

Translation

ไวศัมปายนะกล่าวว่า—ตลอดสิบหกปี แล้วอีกแปดปี และต่อมาอีกหกสิบสี่ปีด้วย เขามิได้ลิ้มรสความรื่นรมย์ในสตรีเลย; เขาดำรงตนดุจผู้เที่ยวป่า สำรวมระงับ และห่างไกลจากความยึดติดในกาม

Word by Word

सःhe

समाःyears

षोडशsixteen

अष्टौeight (two groups / dual form)

चand

चतस्रःfour

षष्टौsixty (dual form used in counting)

तथाthus/likewise

अपराःother (additional)

रतिम्love/sexual pleasure/attachment

अप्राप्रुवन्did not obtain/experience

स्त्रीषुamong women / with women

बभूवbecame/was

वनगोचरःone who moves in the forest; forest-dweller

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

forest (vana)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights ethical self-restraint: a long period of living without pursuing sensual pleasure, suggesting discipline and withdrawal from desire as a valued virtue in the narrative context.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana describes a man who, for many years, does not experience or pursue sexual enjoyment with women and instead lives as a forest-roamer, emphasizing an ascetic or restrained phase of life.