Shloka 5
Deva–Asura–Gandharva–Nāga Vaṃśa-kathana
Genealogies and Partial Descents
सौतिर्वाच कर्मान्तरेष्वकथयन् द्विजा वेदाश्रया: कथा: । व्यासस्त्वकथयच्चित्रमाख्यानं भारतं महत्,उग्रश्रवाजीने कहा--शौनक! यज्ञकर्मसे अवकाश मिलनेपर अन्य ब्राह्मण तो वेदोंकी कथाएँ कहते थे, परंतु व्यासदेवजी अति विचित्र महाभारतकी कथा सुनाया करते थे
Sautir uvāca: karmāntareṣu ’kathayan dvijā vedāśrayāḥ kathāḥ | vyāsas tv akathayac citram ākhyānaṃ bhārataṃ mahat ||
Sauti sprach: „In den Zwischenzeiten der rituellen Handlungen erzählten die brahmanischen Weisen Geschichten, die auf den Veden beruhen; doch Vyāsa trug die wundersame, weitgespannte epische Erzählung vor — das große Bhārata.“
शौनक उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how sacred knowledge is transmitted through multiple modes: Veda-based discourse by Brahmin sages and the expansive itihāsa narrative of Vyāsa. It implies that ethical and dharmic understanding can be conveyed not only through Vedic exposition but also through the grand, memorable framework of epic storytelling.
Sauti describes the setting of a sacrificial session: during pauses in ritual activity, the assembled Brahmins tell Veda-grounded stories, while Vyāsa, distinctively, recounts the extraordinary and vast narrative called the Bhārata (Mahābhārata).