Shloka 19

Nāga-prādhānya-nāma-kathana

Principal Nāga Names Enumerated

Devanagari script

न भिथ्या ब्रह्मणो वाक्यं कर्तुमर्हथ सत्तमा: | भवतां हि न मिथ्यायं संकल्पो वै चिकीर्षित:,'संत-महात्माओ! आप ब्रह्माजीका वचन मिथ्या न करें। साथ ही मैं यह भी चाहता हूँ कि आपके द्वारा किया हुआ यह अभीष्ट संकल्प भी मिथ्या न हो

Transliteration

na mithyā brahmaṇo vākyaṁ kartum arhatha sattamāḥ | bhavatāṁ hi na mithyāyaṁ saṅkalpo vai cikīrṣitaḥ ||

Translation

Śaunaka sprach: „O Beste der Tugendhaften, ihr dürft nicht zulassen, dass Brahmās Wort unwahr gemacht wird. Und ich wünsche auch, dass euer beabsichtigter Entschluss — was ihr zu vollbringen gedenkt — nicht vergeblich oder unwahr werde.“

Word by Word

नnot

मिथ्याfalse(ly), untrue

ब्रह्मणःof Brahmā

वाक्यम्word, statement

कर्तुम्to make, to do

अर्हथyou ought / you are fit

सत्तमाःO best of the good

भवताम्of you (hon.)

हिindeed, for

नnot

मिथ्याfalse(ly), untrue

अयम्this

संकल्पःresolve, intention

वैindeed, surely

चand

चिकीर्षितःintended (to be done), purposed

Speaker

शौनक उवाच

Characters & Entities

Śaunaka

Brahmā

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 upholds satya (truth) and fidelity to authoritative speech: one should not act in a way that makes a divine utterance false, and one should ensure that one’s own vowed resolve (saṅkalpa) is fulfilled rather than becoming ‘mithyā’ (vain/false).

What is happening in the narrative?

Śaunaka addresses revered interlocutors, urging them to act so that Brahmā’s statement remains validated by events, and simultaneously to see that their intended undertaking and resolve is successfully carried through.