Shloka 22

Devanagari script

त॑ संकल्पं विदित्वाग्नेर्ज्ञात्वा पुत्रांक्ष बालकान्‌ । सोभितुष्टाव विप्रर्षिब्राह्माणो जातवेदसम्‌

Transliteration

taṁ saṅkalpaṁ viditvāgner jñātvā putrāṁś ca bālakān | so 'bhituṣṭāva viprarṣir brāhmaṇo jātavedasam ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana sprach: Als er Agnis Vorhaben erkannte und die Kinder als seine eigenen Söhne wiedererkannte, wurde der Brahmane—ein Weiser unter den Priestern—von Freude erfüllt und pries Jātavedas (Agni).

Word by Word

तम्that (him/it)

संकल्पम्intention, resolve

विदित्वाhaving known

अग्नेःof Agni

ज्ञात्वाhaving learned/understood

पुत्रान्sons

चand

बालकान्boys, children

सःhe

अभितुष्टावत्was well-pleased/satisfied

विप्रर्षिब्राह्मणःthe brahmin (a vipra and rishi)

उपातुष्टावत्was pleased (towards), gratified

जातवेदसम्Jātavedas (Agni)

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Agni

Jātavedas

the brahmin (viprarṣi)

sons/children (putrāḥ/bālakāḥ)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

When a higher purpose (saṅkalpa) becomes clear—especially one aimed at protection and rightful welfare—one should respond with gratitude and reverence rather than doubt. Recognizing beneficence and honoring it is presented as a dharmic reaction.

What is happening in the narrative?

The speaker narrates that a brahmin-sage understands Agni’s intention and realizes the children are Agni’s sons; pleased, he praises Agni under the epithet Jātavedas.