Shloka 53

ययाति–अष्टक–प्रतर्दन संवादः | Yayāti’s Dialogue with Aṣṭaka and Pratardana on Merit, Gifts, and Ethical Restraint

Devanagari script

प्रतर्दनेन शिबिना समेत्य किल संसदि । फिर यह भी सुननेमें आया है कि वे पराक्रमी राजा ययाति मुनिसमाजमें राजा वसुमान्‌, अष्टक, प्रतर्दन और शिबिसे मिलकर पुनः वहींसे साधु पुरुषोंके संगके प्रभावसे स्वर्गलोकमें चले गये

Transliteration

Vaiśampāyana uvāca | pratardanena śibinā sametya kila saṃsadi |

Translation

Vaiśampāyana said: It is also heard that the valiant King Yayāti, having assembled in the sages’ council together with King Vasumān, Aṣṭaka, Pratardana, and Śibi, departed once again from there to the heavenly world—carried by the purifying influence of the company of the virtuous.

Word by Word

प्रतर्दनेनby/with Pratardana

शिबिनाby/with Śibi

समेत्यhaving met/assembled together

किलindeed, it is said

संसदिin the assembly/council

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Yayāti

Vasumān

Aṣṭaka

Pratardana

Śibi

muni-samāja (assembly of sages)

saṃsad (assembly)

Svarga-loka (heaven)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

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 highlights the elevating power of sādhu-saṅga (association with the virtuous): moral and spiritual uplift, and even heavenly attainment, are portrayed as arising from the purifying influence of good company and participation in a sages’ assembly.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana reports a tradition that King Yayāti, together with Vasumān, Aṣṭaka, Pratardana, and Śibi, gathered in an assembly (understood as a sages’ council) and then proceeded again to Svarga, attributed to the influence of the company of righteous men.