Shloka 8

Āstīka-janma: Vāsuki’s Consolation and the Birth/Naming of Āstīka (अस्तीकोत्पत्तिः)

Devanagari script

ततस्तु राजानममित्रतापनं समीक्ष्य ते तस्य नृपस्य मन्त्रिण: । सुवर्णवर्माणमुपेत्य काशिपं वपुष्टमार्थ वरयाम्प्रचक्रमु:,राजमन्त्रियोंने देखा, राजा जनमेजय शत्रुओंको दबानेमें समर्थ हो गये हैं, तब उन्होंने काशिराज सुवर्णवर्माके पास जाकर उनकी पुत्री वपुष्टमाके लिये याचना की

Transliteration

tatastu rājānam amitrātapanaṁ samīkṣya te tasya nṛpasya mantriṇaḥ | suvarṇavarmāṇam upetya kāśipaṁ vapuṣṭamā-artham varayām pracakramuḥ ||

Translation

Then, observing that King Janamejaya had become a formidable subduer of enemies, his ministers approached Suvarṇavarman, the king of Kāśī, and began to seek in marriage his daughter Vapuṣṭamā for their king.

Word by Word

ततःthen, thereafter

तुbut/indeed

राजानम्the king

अमित्रतापनम्scorcher of enemies

समीक्ष्यhaving observed

तेthey

तस्यof him/of that

नृपस्यof the king

मन्त्रिणःministers/counsellors

सुवर्णवर्माणम्Suvarṇavarman (name)

उपेत्यhaving approached

काशिपम्the king of Kāśi

वपुष्टमाम्Vapuṣṭamā (name)

अर्थेfor the purpose/for the sake

वरयाम्as a bride (in marriage)

प्रचक्रमुःthey set about / they proceeded

Speaker

तक्षक उवाच

Characters & Entities

Takṣaka

Janamejaya

Suvarṇavarman

Vapuṣṭamā

Kāśī

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse underscores a principle of rājadharma: ministers assess the king’s strength and stability before pursuing major alliances. It also invites ethical reflection on how marriage can be treated as a tool of diplomacy and consolidation of power.

What is happening in the narrative?

Janamejaya’s ministers, seeing him established as a powerful ruler, go to Suvarṇavarman of Kāśī to request his daughter Vapuṣṭamā in marriage for their king, initiating a formal proposal.