Vairāgyaśataka 21

दीना दीनमुखैः सदैव शिशुकैराकृष्टजीर्णाम्बरा
क्रोशद्भिः क्षुधितैर्निरन्नविधुरा दृश्या न चेद्गेहिनी ।
याञ्चाभङ्गभयेन गद्गदगलत्रुट्यद्विलीनाक्षरं
को देहीति वदेत्स्वदग्धजठरस्यार्थे मनस्वी पुमान ॥



śārdūlavikrīḍitam

“If he didn’t have to look upon
his miserable wife, starving and helpless,
and his miserable-looking children, crying, hungry,
constantly tugging at her ragged clothes,
what self-respecting man would say ‘give’—
the syllables breaking up and sticking in his throat in a stammer
for fear of his request being rejected—
for the sake of his famished stomach?”