Shloka 34
Dharma-vyādha’s Analysis of Moral Decline and the Mahābhūta–Guṇa Schema (धर्मव्याधोपदेशः)
अध्वनि क्षीणगात्राश्न पांसुपादावगुण्ठिता: । तेषामेव श्रमार्तानां यो हान्न॑ं कथयेद् बुध:
adhvani kṣīṇagātrāś ca pāṃsupādāvaguṇṭhitāḥ | teṣām eva śramārtānāṃ yo hānnam kathayed budhaḥ ||
Mārkaṇḍeya nói: “Trên đường xa, thân thể rã rời, bàn chân phủ bụi, chính những người ấy bị cơn mệt nhọc dày vò. Bậc trí nên nói cho họ biết (và trao cho họ) thức ăn—để giải nỗi khổ trước mắt.”
मार्कण्डेय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse emphasizes practical compassion as dharma: when people are visibly exhausted from travel, the wise prioritize immediate relief—especially food—rather than mere words or delay.
Mārkaṇḍeya describes travelers weakened on the road, dust-covered and distressed by fatigue, and instructs that a discerning person should address their need for food—highlighting the duty of care toward those in hardship.