Shloka 34

Devanagari script

स्वयं ब्रह्मत्वमकरोत्‌ तस्य सत्यवतीसुतः । धनंजयानामृषभ: सुसामा सामगो5भवत्‌,स्वयं सत्यवतीनन्दन व्यासने उस यज्ञमें ब्रह्माका काम सँभाला। धनंजयगोत्रीय ब्राह्मणोंमें श्रेष्ठ सुसामा सामगान करनेवाले हुए

Transliteration

svayaṁ brahmatvam akarot tasya satyavatīsutaḥ | dhanañjayānām ṛṣabhaḥ susāmā sāmago 'bhavat ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana said: Satyavatī’s son (Vyāsa) himself assumed the office of Brahmā-priest for that sacrifice. And among the Dhanañjaya lineage, the foremost—Susāmā—served as the Sāman-chanter (Sāmaga).

Word by Word

स्वयम्himself

ब्रह्मत्वम्the office/duty of Brahman (chief priesthood)

अकरोत्did / undertook

तस्यof him / his

सत्यवती-सुतःthe son of Satyavatī (Vyāsa)

धनञ्जयानाम्of the Dhanañjayas

ऋषभःthe best / bull (chief)

सुसामाSusāmā (proper name)

सामगःa Sāma-chanter (singer of Sāmans)

अभवत्became / was

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Satyavatī

Vyāsa (Satyavatī-suta)

Susāmā

Dhanañjaya lineage

Brahmā-priest (ritual office)

Sāmaga (Sāmaveda chanter)

Yajña (sacrifice)

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?

Ritual and social dharma depend on rightly qualified persons fulfilling their designated roles: Vyāsa takes responsibility as Brahmā-priest, and Susāmā performs the Sāman-chanting—showing that sacred acts require competence, oversight, and adherence to proper offices.

What is happening in the narrative?

During a sacrifice being described, the narrator states that Vyāsa personally served as the Brahmā-priest (the supervisory priest), while Susāmā, eminent in the Dhanañjaya group, served as the Sāmaveda chanter (Sāmaga).