Shloka 14

Āstīka-stuti at Janamejaya’s Sacrifice (आस्तीकस्तुतिः / यज्ञप्रशंसा)

Devanagari script

आचख्यौ स च विश्रान्तो राज्ञ: सर्वमशेषत: । शप्तोडसि मम पुत्रेण यत्तो भव महीपते

Transliteration

ācakhyau sa ca viśrānto rājñaḥ sarvam aśeṣataḥ | śapto ’si mama putreṇa yatto bhava mahīpate ||

Translation

Having rested, he reported everything to the king in full. He then delivered the sage’s message: “O ruler of the earth, my son has cursed you; therefore be vigilant and composed.”

Word by Word

• {'ācakhyau': 'he related, he reported (perfect of √khyā with ā-)', 'sa': 'he', 'ca': 'and', 'viśrāntaḥ': 'rested, having taken rest', 'rājñaḥ': 'to/of the king', 'sarvam': 'everything', 'aśeṣataḥ': 'without remainder, completely', 'śaptaḥ asi (śapto ’si)': 'you have been cursed', 'mama': 'my', 'putreṇa': 'by (my) son', 'yattaḥ (yattaḥ bhava)': 'alert, vigilant

• be attentive', 'bhava': 'be (imperative)', 'mahīpate': 'O lord of the earth, O king'}

Speaker

जनमेजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Janamejaya
• King (Parikshit, implied by context)
• Shamika (Śamīka, implied by context)
• Shamika’s son (Śṛṅgin, implied by context)
• Gauramukha (messenger/disciple, per accompanying prose)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Words and actions toward the spiritually disciplined carry moral consequences; when harm has already been set in motion (a curse), the ethical response is vigilance, restraint, and responsibility rather than escalation.

What is happening in the narrative?

A messenger, after resting, fully informs the king and conveys the sage’s warning that the king has been cursed by the sage’s son, urging the king to remain alert in light of the impending consequence.