Shloka 53

Vyāsa’s Arrival at Janamejaya’s Sarpasatra; Commissioning of Vaiśaṃpāyana’s Recital (व्यासागमनम्)

Devanagari script

इस प्रकार श्रीमह्या भारत आदिपर्वके अन्तर्गत आस्तीकपर्वमें सर्पसत्रके विषयमें वायुकिवचनसम्बन्धी तिरपनवाँ अध्याय पूरा हुआ

Transliteration

Iti prakāraṁ Śrīmahābhārate Ādiparvaṇi antar-gate Āstīkaparvaṇi sarpasatraviṣaye Vāyukivacana-sambandhī tripañcāśattamo ’dhyāyaḥ pūrṇaḥ.

Translation

So endet das dreiundfünfzigste Kapitel des Āstīka-Abschnitts innerhalb der Ādi Parva der heiligen Mahābhārata, betreffend das Schlangenopfer und verbunden mit der Vāyuki zugeschriebenen Rede.

Word by Word

इतिthus

प्रकारेणin this manner

श्रीमहाभारतthe revered Mahabharata

आदिपर्वकेin the Adi-parvan (section)

अन्तर्गतincluded/contained

आस्तीकपर्वमेंin the Astika-parvan

सर्पसत्रकेof the snake-sacrifice

विषयमेंon the topic of

वायुकिवचनसम्बन्धीconnected with Vayuki's statement

त्रिपञ्चाशत्तमःfifty-third

अध्यायःchapter

समाप्तःcompleted

अभवत्was/occurred

Speaker

शौनक उवाच

Characters & Entities

म

महाभारत (Mahābhārata)

आ

आदिपर्व (Ādi Parva)

आ

आस्तीकपर्व (Āstīka Parva)

स

सर्पसत्र (Sarpa-satra)

व

वायुकि (Vāyuki)

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

This line functions as a colophon: it teaches how the Mahābhārata is structured and transmitted—through framed recitation, careful attribution of speeches, and explicit chapter conclusions that preserve the integrity of the narrative tradition.

What is happening in the narrative?

The text is not advancing the plot directly; it is formally closing a chapter in the Āstīka Parva within the Ādi Parva, indicating that the chapter concerned the serpent-sacrifice (sarpasatra) and was connected with a discourse attributed to Vāyuki.