Shloka 31

Adhyāya 71: Kaca and the Saṃjīvanī-vidyā

Devayānī–Śukra Episode

Devanagari script

बभार यत्रास्य पुरा काले दुर्गे महात्मन: । दारान्मतड़ो धर्मात्मा राजर्षिव्याधतां गत:,विश्वामित्र महर्षि वे ही हैं, जिनकी पत्नीका पूर्वकालमें संकटके समय शापवश व्याध बने हुए धर्मात्मा राजर्षि मतंगने भरण-पोषण किया था

Transliteration

babhāra yatrāsya purā kāle durge mahātmanaḥ | dārān mataṅgo dharmātmā rājarṣir vyādhatāṃ gataḥ ||

Translation

迦ṇ婆说道：“在往昔那危难之时，正是在那里，持守法度的王仙摩当伽——虽因诅咒而以猎人之身度日——仍扶养并护佑了那位大心者的妻子。”

Word by Word

बभारsupported, maintained

यत्रwhere

अस्यof him

पुराformerly, earlier

कालेat the time

दुर्गेin distress, in difficulty

महात्मनःof the great-souled one

दारान्wife (lit. spouses/household)

मतङ्गःMatanga

धर्मात्माrighteous-souled

राजर्षिःroyal sage

व्याधताम्the state of being a hunter

गतःhaving gone to, having become

विश्वामित्रःViśvāmitra

महर्षिःgreat sage

Speaker

कण्व उवाच

Characters & Entities

Kaṇva

Mataṅga

the great-souled person (unnamed here)

the wife/spouse (dārāḥ)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse teaches that dharma is measured by conduct, not by outward status. Even when reduced by a curse to the life of a hunter, Mataṅga remains dharmātmā by sustaining and protecting another in a time of danger.

What is happening in the narrative?

Kaṇva recalls an earlier episode: during a crisis, Mataṅga—then living as a vyādha due to a curse—provided support and protection to the wife of a great-souled figure, indicating a past bond of help and moral obligation.