Mahabharata 1.222.443 — Adi Parva, Adhyaya 222, Shloka 443

Jarītā–Śārṅgā-saṃvāda: Ākhu-haraṇa and the Approach of Agni (आखुहरणं अग्न्यागमनश्च)

Devanagari script

उवाच भगवान्‌ प्रीतः स्मितपूर्वमिदं वच: । “देवदेवेश! सुरेश्वर! यदि मेरे ऊपर आप सर्वलोक-वन्दित भगवान्‌ प्रसन्न हुए हैं तो स्वयं चलकर मेरा यज्ञ करायें।" राजाकी कही हुई यह बात सुनकर भगवान्‌ शिव प्रसन्न होकर मुसकराते हुए बोले--

Transliteration

vaiśaṃpāyana uvāca | uvāca bhagavān prītaḥ smitapūrvam idaṃ vacaḥ | “devadeveśa! sureśvara! yadi me upari āp sarvaloka-vandita bhagavān prasanna hue haiṃ, to svayaṃ calakara mama yajñaṃ kārayeṃ.” rājñā uktaṃ etad vacaḥ śrutvā bhagavān śivaḥ prasannaḥ san muskarāte hue uvāca—

Translation

Vaiśaṃpāyana said: Pleased, the Blessed Lord spoke these words with a gentle smile. The king said, “O Lord of gods, O sovereign of the celestials! If you—the God revered by all worlds—are truly gracious toward me, then come in person and have my sacrifice performed.” Hearing the king’s request, Lord Śiva, delighted, replied with a smile—

Word by Word

• उवाच: said/spoke
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: Perfect (Paroksha-bhuta), 3, Singular, Parasmaipada

• भगवान्: the Blessed Lord
• भगवान्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: भगवत्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• प्रीतः: pleased
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रीत
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• स्मित: with a smile
• स्मित: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्मित
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• पूर्वम्: first/previously
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पूर्व

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: इदम्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• वचः: speech/words
• वचः: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: वचस्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśaṃpāyana
• Bhagavān (Śiva)
• Śiva
• the king (rājā)
• yajña (sacrifice)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The passage highlights bhakti expressed through humility and the dharmic importance of yajña: a righteous king seeks divine presence and sanction for sacred rites, implying that ritual action is most meaningful when aligned with reverence, purity of intent, and divine approval.

What is happening in the narrative?

The narrator introduces a scene where the king petitions Śiva with honorific titles, asking him to come personally and have the king’s sacrifice performed. Śiva, pleased, responds smilingly—setting up the next portion of dialogue and action around the yajña.