Shloka 33

Vasiṣṭhāpavāha: Sarasvatī’s Diversion and Viśvāmitra’s Curse (वसिष्ठापवाहः)

Devanagari script

तत्र यज्ञे ययातेश्षन महाराज सरस्वती । सर्पि: पयश्च सुस्राव नाहुषस्य महात्मन:,महाराज! वहाँ पूर्वकालमें नहुषनन्दन महात्मा ययातिने यज्ञ किया था, जिसमें सरस्वतीने उनके लिये दूध और घीका स्रोत बहाया था

Transliteration

tatra yajñe yayāteḥ śaśan mahārāja sarasvatī | sarpiḥ payaś ca susrāva nāhuṣasya mahātmanaḥ ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana sprach: O König, bei jenem Opfer des edlen Yayāti, des Sohnes Nahuṣas, ließ der Fluss Sarasvatī für ihn Ströme von Milch und geklärter Butter (Ghee) hervorquellen.

Word by Word

तत्रthere

यज्ञेin the sacrifice

ययातेःof Yayāti

अशनfood (provision)

महाराजO great king

सरस्वतीSarasvatī (river/goddess)

सर्पिःghee

पयःmilk

चand

सुस्रावflowed forth

नाहुषस्यof Nahusha

महात्मनःof the great-souled (one)

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Mahārāja (the king addressed, i.e., Janamejaya in the frame narrative)

Yayāti

Nahuṣa

Sarasvatī

yajña (sacrifice)

sarpiḥ (ghee)

payaḥ (milk)

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 highlights the dharmic ideal that a properly conducted yajña by a righteous ruler generates abundance and harmony, symbolized by Sarasvatī herself providing milk and ghee—staple ritual and prosperity substances—through her flowing grace.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana, addressing the king in the frame story, recalls an ancient event: at Yayāti’s sacrifice, Sarasvatī caused streams of milk and ghee to flow for him, marking the rite as exceptionally meritorious and divinely/naturally supported.