Shloka 8

कुमाराभिषेकप्रश्नः — Inquiry into Kumāra (Skanda) Investiture at Sarasvatī

Devanagari script

तान्‌ दृष्टवा राक्षसान्‌ राजन्‌ मुनयः संशितव्रता: । परित्राणे सरस्वत्या: परं यत्न॑ प्रचक्रिरे,राजन! उन राक्षसोंको देखकर कठोर व्रतका पालन करनेवाले मुनियोंने सरस्वतीके उस तीर्थकी रक्षाके लिये महान्‌ प्रयत्न किया

Transliteration

tān dṛṣṭvā rākṣasān rājan munayaḥ saṃśitavratāḥ | paritrāṇe sarasvatyāḥ paraṃ yatnaṃ pracakrire rājan ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana sprach: „O König, als die Weisen jene Rākṣasas erblickten—standhaft in ihren strengen Gelübden—unternahmen sie die äußerste Anstrengung, um das heilige Tīrtha (die Furt) der Sarasvatī zu schützen.“

Word by Word

• तान्: those (them)
• तान्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश्
• Form: Absolutive (Gerund), Parasmaipada (usage-neutral here)

• राक्षसान्: rakshasas, demons
• राक्षसान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: राक्षस
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• राजन्: O king
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन्
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• मुनयः: sages
• मुनयः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• संशितव्रताः: of strict/firm vows
• Type: Adjective
• Root: संशितव्रत
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• परित्राणे: in/for the protection
• परित्राणे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: परित्राण
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• सरस्वत्याः: of Sarasvatī (river/holy place)
• सरस्वत्याः: Sambandha
• Type: Noun
• Root: सरस्वती
• Form: Feminine, Genitive, Singular

• परम्: great, utmost
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परम
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• यत्नम्: effort
• यत्नम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: यत्न
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• प्रचक्रिरे: they undertook/made (they exerted)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ
• Form: Perfect (Liṭ), Ātmanepada, Third, Plural

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• rākṣasas
• munis (sages)
• Sarasvatī (river)
• Sarasvatī-tīrtha (sacred ford/place)
• rājan (the king addressed, i.e., Janamejaya)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Those established in vows and discipline are obligated to act for protection (paritrāṇa)—especially to safeguard sacred spaces and the moral order—when threatened by destructive forces.

What is happening in the narrative?

Rākṣasas appear near a Sarasvatī tīrtha; upon seeing them, the vow-observant sages mobilize their greatest efforts to defend and preserve that holy place.