Shloka 22

Devanagari script

त्रिषष्टिवर्णसंयुक्तमष्टस्थानसमीरितम्‌ । वाचयेद्‌ वाचक: स्वस्थ: स्वासीन: सुसमाहित:

Transliteration

triṣaṣṭivarṇasaṃyuktam aṣṭasthānasamīritam | vācayed vācakaḥ svasthaḥ svāsīnaḥ susamāhitaḥ ||

Translation

Vaiśaṃpāyana sprach: „Der Rezitator soll den Text—aus dreiundsechzig Laut-Einheiten bestehend—korrekt aus den acht Artikulationsstellen hervorbringen. Beim Vortrag soll der Leser gesund sein, bequem sitzen und in tiefer Sammlung verweilen.“

Word by Word

• त्रिषष्टिवर्णसंयुक्तम्: endowed with (i.e., consisting of) sixty-three letters
• त्रिषष्टिवर्णसंयुक्तम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्रिषष्टिवर्णसंयुक्त
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• अष्टस्थानसमीरितम्: uttered/produced from the eight places (of articulation)
• अष्टस्थानसमीरितम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अष्टस्थानसमीरित
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• वाचयेत्: should cause to be recited / should recite (as a reader)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: Optative (Vidhi-lin), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada, true

• वाचकः: the reciter / narrator
• वाचकः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाचक
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• स्वस्थः: healthy, at ease
• स्वस्थः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्वस्थ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• स्वासीनः: seated comfortably
• स्वासीनः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्वासीन
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• सुसमाहितः: well-collected, fully attentive
• सुसमाहितः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुसमाहित
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśaṃpāyana

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse teaches disciplined, accurate recitation: correct phonetic articulation (from the recognized places of pronunciation) and the ethical posture of the narrator—health, steadiness, proper seating, and focused attention—so that sacred narration is transmitted without distortion.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Svargārohaṇa context, Vaiśaṃpāyana pauses to state a normative guideline for how the Mahābhārata should be recited and heard: the reciter must pronounce properly and maintain physical and mental composure while delivering the story.