Shloka 18
कण्वोपदेशः—नश्वरबलविवेकः तथा मातलिगुणकेश्याः आख्यानारम्भः
Kaṇva’s Counsel on Impermanent Power; Opening of the Mātali–Guṇakeśī Narrative
तौ दृष्टवा क्षुत्पिपासाभ्यां कृशी धमनिसंततौ । शीतवातातपैश्चैव कर्शितौ पुरुषोत्तमौ
tau dṛṣṭvā kṣutpipāsābhyāṃ kṛśī dhamanisaṃtatau | śītavātātapaiś caiva karśitau puruṣottamau ||
见那两位至上之人因饥渴而消瘦，周身脉络毕现，又为寒冷、烈风与灼日所摧折，（毗舍摩波耶那叙述道）他们在诸般苦难的忍受中已极其憔悴。
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
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.
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.