Shloka 18

कण्वोपदेशः—नश्वरबलविवेकः तथा मातलिगुणकेश्याः आख्यानारम्भः

Kaṇva’s Counsel on Impermanent Power; Opening of the Mātali–Guṇakeśī Narrative

Devanagari script

तौ दृष्टवा क्षुत्पिपासाभ्यां कृशी धमनिसंततौ । शीतवातातपैश्चैव कर्शितौ पुरुषोत्तमौ,वे दोनों पुरुषरत्न भूख-प्याससे दुर्बल हो गये थे। उनके सारे अंगोंमें फैली हुई नस- नाड़ियाँ स्पष्ट दिखायी देती थीं। वे सर्दी-गरमी और हवाका कष्ट सहते-सहते अत्यन्त कृशकाय हो रहे थे

Transliteration

tau dṛṣṭvā kṣutpipāsābhyāṃ kṛśī dhamanisaṃtatau | śītavātātapaiś caiva karśitau puruṣottamau ||

Translation

Thấy hai bậc tối thượng ấy gầy rộc vì đói khát, gân mạch nổi rõ khắp thân, lại bị bào mòn bởi lạnh giá, gió buốt và nắng lửa, (Vaiśaṃpāyana kể rằng) họ đã trở nên tiều tụy đến cùng cực vì chịu đựng những khổ nhọc ấy.

Word by Word

तौthose two

दृष्ट्वाhaving seen

क्षुत्by hunger

पिपासाभ्याम्by thirst (and)

कृशीemaciated

धमनि-संततौwith veins/arteries spread out (clearly visible)

शीत-वात-आतपैःby cold, wind, and sun/heat

चand

एवindeed/just

कर्शितौworn down/emaciated

पुरुषोत्तमौthe two best of men

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

two foremost men (puruṣottamau)

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 spiritual value of endurance: even the noblest persons may be reduced by hunger, thirst, and harsh weather, yet their steadfast bearing of hardship becomes a marker of discipline and resolve—often a prelude to testing dharma under pressure.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana describes two eminent men seen in a severely weakened state: hunger and thirst have made them thin, their veins are visibly prominent, and continual exposure to cold, wind, and heat has further worn them down.