Shloka 8

Adhyāya 348: Nāga–Nīgabhāryā Saṃvāda on Anger, Hope, and Ethical Response

Devanagari script

य एष गुरुरस्माकमृषिर्गन्धवतीसुत:

Transliteration

vaiśampāyana uvāca | ya eṣa gurur asmākam ṛṣir gandhavatī-sutaḥ, tāta | sa eva bhagavataḥ paramottamam avināśi māhātmyam varṇitavān | niṣpāpa! tasyaiva mukhāt mayā etat sarvaṃ śrutam, mayā ca tubhyam api kathitam |

Translation

Vaiśampāyana sprach: „Mein Kind, eben dieser Weise—unser Lehrer, der Sohn der Gandhavatī (Satyavatī), der Mahārṣi Vyāsa—hat die höchst erhabene, unvergängliche Größe des Herrn geschildert. O Schuldloser, all dies habe ich von ihm vernommen und dir wiederum berichtet.“

Word by Word

• यः: who
• यः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• एषः: this (here)
• एषः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: एतद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• गुरुः: teacher, preceptor
• गुरुः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुरु
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• अस्माकम्: of us, our
• अस्माकम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: —, Genitive, Plural

• ऋषिः: seer, sage
• ऋषिः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋषि
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• गन्धवती: Gandhavatī (name)
• गन्धवती: Adhikarana
• Type: ProperNoun
• Root: गन्धवती
• Form: Feminine, —, —

• सुतः: son
• सुतः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुत
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• तात: dear one, son (voc.)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तात
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Vyāsa (Kṛṣṇa Dvaipāyana)
• Gandhavatī/Satyavatī
• Bhagavān (the Lord)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse emphasizes the reliability and sanctity of knowledge transmitted through an authentic lineage: Vyāsa, the revered guru, expounds the Lord’s imperishable greatness, and Vaiśampāyana conveys it faithfully to the listener. Ethical weight is placed on humility, purity (niṣpāpa), and respect for authoritative instruction.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana identifies Vyāsa—son of Gandhavatī/Satyavatī—as the original teacher who taught the doctrine of the Lord’s imperishable glory. He clarifies that he heard it directly from Vyāsa and is now repeating the same teaching to his audience.