Shloka 11

Sabhā-praveśa, Dāna, and the Courtly Convergence (सभा-प्रवेशः दानं च)

Devanagari script

बको दाल्भ्य: स्थूलशिरा: कृष्णद्वैपायन: शुक: । सुमन्तुर्जैमिनि: पैलो व्यासशिष्यास्तथा वयम्‌

Transliteration

bako dālbhyāḥ sthūlaśirāḥ kṛṣṇadvaipāyanaḥ śukaḥ | sumantur jaiminiḥ pailo vyāsaśiṣyās tathā vayam ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana sprach: „Baka Dālbhyā, Sthūlaśiras, Kṛṣṇa Dvaipāyana (Vyāsa), Śuka, Sumantu, Jaimini und Paila—sie waren Schüler Vyāsas; und auch wir (gehören zu dieser Überlieferungslinie).“

Word by Word

बकःBaka (a sage named Baka)

दाल्भ्यःDālbhyā (a sage named Dālbhyā)

स्थूलशिराःSthūlaśiras (lit. 'thick-headed'; a proper name)

कृष्णद्वैपायनःKṛṣṇa-Dvaipāyana (Vyāsa)

शुकःŚuka

सुमन्तुःSumantu

जैमिनिःJaimini

पैलःPaila

व्यासशिष्याःdisciples of Vyāsa

तथाthus; likewise; also

वयम्we

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Baka

Dālbhyā

Sthūlaśiras

Kṛṣṇa Dvaipāyana (Vyāsa)

Śuka

Sumantu

Jaimini

Paila

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse underscores the importance of an authenticated guru–śiṣya (teacher–student) lineage for preserving and transmitting sacred history (itihāsa) accurately, presenting the narration as grounded in a recognized tradition rather than personal invention.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana identifies notable sages connected with Vyāsa and states that they are Vyāsa’s disciples, adding that he himself belongs to that same transmission line—thereby establishing the credibility and continuity of the account being recited.