Shloka 17

Nārāyaṇopadeśa to Mārkaṇḍeya (Cosmic Self-Identification and Yuga Doctrine) | नारायणोपदेशः

Devanagari script

ताक्ष्य उवाच किमन्निहोत्रस्य व्रतं पुराण- माचक्ष्व मे पृच्छतश्चानुरूपे । त्वयानुशिष्टो5हमिहाद्य विद्यां यदग्निहोत्रस्य व्रतं पुराणम्‌,ताक्ष्यने पूछा--मनोहर रूपवाली देवि! मैं पूछता हूँ कि अग्निहोत्रका प्राचीन नियम क्या है? यह बताओ। तुम्हारे उपदेश करनेपर आज मुझे यहाँ अग्निहोत्रके प्राचीन नियमका ज्ञान हो जाय

Transliteration

tākṣya uvāca: kim agnihotrasya vrataṃ purāṇam ācakṣva me pṛcchataś cānurūpe | tvayānuśiṣṭo 'ham ihādya vidyāṃ yad agnihotrasya vrataṃ purāṇam ||

Translation

তাৰ্ক্ষ্য ক’লে— দেৱী! মোৰ প্ৰশ্নৰ অনুৰূপে ক’বা—অগ্নিহোত্ৰৰ সেই প্ৰাচীন ব্ৰত-নিয়ম কি? তোমাৰ উপদেশে মই আজি, ইয়াতেই, সেই চিৰাচৰিত বিধিৰ জ্ঞান লাভ কৰোঁ।

Word by Word

• {'tākṣyaḥ': 'Tākṣya

• a proper name (often associated with Garuḍa in Sanskrit usage)', 'uvāca': 'said', 'kim': 'what?', 'agnihotrasya': 'of the Agnihotra (the Vedic fire-offering rite)', 'vratam': 'vow

• regulated religious practice', 'purāṇam': 'ancient

• time-honoured', 'ācakṣva': 'tell

• explain (imperative)', 'me': 'to me', 'pṛcchataḥ': 'of one who asks

• as I am asking', 'ca': 'and', 'anurūpe': 'appropriately

• in a fitting manner', 'tvayā': 'by you', 'anuśiṣṭaḥ': 'instructed

• taught', 'aham': 'I', 'iha': 'here', 'adya': 'today', 'vidyām': 'knowledge

• understanding', 'yat': 'which

Speaker

ताक्ष्य उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Tākṣya
• Agnihotra

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse emphasizes disciplined inquiry and proper transmission of sacred practice: the seeker requests instruction in an ancient Vedic observance (Agnihotra) and acknowledges that true understanding comes through qualified teaching.

What is happening in the narrative?

Tākṣya addresses a woman (implied by the Hindi gloss) and asks her to explain the traditional rule/observance of the Agnihotra, requesting a fitting, authoritative instruction so he may gain correct knowledge.