Shloka 24

Devanagari script

कृष्णद्वैपायनं काली चिन्तयामास वै मुनिम्‌ | स वेदान्‌ विन्रुवन्‌ धीमान्‌ मातुर्विज्ञाय चिन्तितम्‌

Transliteration

kṛṣṇadvaipāyanaṃ kālī cintayāmāsa vai munim | sa vedān vinruvan dhīmān mātur vijñāya cintitam ||

Translation

Sinabi ni Vaiśampāyana: Itinuon ni Kālī (Satyavatī) ang kanyang isip sa pantas na si Kṛṣṇa Dvaipāyana. Ang marunong, na noo’y abala sa pagbigkas ng mga Veda, ay naunawaan ang di-binibigkas na nasa loob ng kanyang ina at tumugon ayon dito.

Word by Word

कृष्णद्वैपायनम्Krishna-Dvaipayana (Vyasa)

कालीKali (Satyavati)

चिन्तयामासthought of / contemplated

वैindeed

मुनिम्the sage

सःhe

वेदान्the Vedas

विन्रुवन्reciting / proclaiming

धीमान्wise

मातुःof (his) mother

विज्ञायhaving known / understanding

चिन्तितम्the thought (what was thought)

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Kālī (Satyavatī)

Kṛṣṇa Dvaipāyana (Vyāsa)

Vedas

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 ethical and cultural ideal of attentiveness to one’s mother and elders: a wise person perceives another’s need even before it is spoken. It also underscores the sanctity of Vedic study—yet true wisdom includes responsiveness and compassion, not mere ritual learning.

What is happening in the narrative?

Satyavatī (called Kālī) mentally calls upon her son Vyāsa (Kṛṣṇa Dvaipāyana). Vyāsa, though occupied with Vedic recitation, perceives her intention and prepares to act in response, setting up the next narrative development.