Shloka 26

Janamejaya’s Request for Expansion; Vaiśampāyana’s Authorization and Phalāśruti of the Mahābhārata

Jaya

Devanagari script

अन्यं वरय भद्रं ते वरं द्विजवरोत्तम । अयाचत न चाप्यन्यं वरं स भूगुनन्दन,उग्रश्रवाजी कहते हैं--भूगुनन्दन शौनक! आस्तीकके ऐसा कहनेपर उस समय वक्ताओंमें श्रेष्ठ राजा जनमेजयने उनसे बार-बार अनुरोध किया--'विप्रशिरोमणे! आपका कल्याण हो, कोई दूसरा वर माँगिये।' किंतु आस्तीकने दूसरा कोई वर नहीं माँगा

Transliteration

āstīka uvāca | anyaṃ varaya bhadraṃ te varaṃ dvijavarottama | ayācata na cāpy anyaṃ varaṃ sa bhṛgunandana ||

Translation

Āstīka sprach: „Wähle einen anderen Segen — Heil sei dir, o Bester unter den zweimal Geborenen.“ Doch jener Nachkomme Bhṛgus erbat keinen weiteren Segen. Und obgleich König Janamejaya, der Vornehmste unter den Rednern, ihn wieder und wieder drängte — „O Kronjuwel der Brāhmaṇas, sei wohl; erbitte einen anderen Segen“ — begehrte Āstīka nichts anderes, fest in seinem einen Vorsatz.

Word by Word

• {'anyaṃ': 'another, different', 'varam': 'boon

• a granted favor', 'varaya': 'choose (imperative)

• select', 'bhadraṃ te': 'good to you

• may auspiciousness be yours', 'dvija-varottama': 'best among the twice-born (brāhmaṇas)', 'ayācata': 'did not ask/beg (aorist)', 'na ca api': 'and not even

• nor indeed', 'bhṛgu-nandana': 'descendant of Bhṛgu (epithet used here for the sage addressed)', 'uvāca': 'said'}

Speaker

आस्तीक उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Āstīka
• Janamejaya
• Ugraśravas (Sauti)
• Śaunaka
• Bhṛgu (as ancestral reference)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Single-minded adherence to a righteous aim: even when offered additional rewards, one should not be diverted from the ethical purpose already chosen.

What is happening in the narrative?

After Āstīka’s intervention at Janamejaya’s snake-sacrifice, the king urges him repeatedly to ask for another boon; Āstīka refuses, remaining satisfied with his one request and not seeking further gain.