Shloka 17

Devanagari script

काक्षीवानौशिजश्चनैव नाचिकेतो5थ गौतम: । पैड़यो वराह: शुनक: शाण्डिल्यश्व महातपा:

Transliteration

kākṣīvān auśijaś caiva nāciketo 'tha gautamaḥ | paiḍyo varāhaḥ śunakaḥ śāṇḍilyaś ca mahātapāḥ ||

Translation

Vaiśaṃpāyana said: “There were also Kākṣīvān, Auśija, Nāciketa, and Gautama; likewise Paiḍya, Varāha, Śunaka, and the great ascetic Śāṇḍilya.”

Word by Word

काक्षीवान्Kakshivan (a sage)

औशिजःAushija (a sage)

चand

नnot

एवindeed/just

नाचिकेतःNachiketas

अथthen/and also

गौतमःGautama

पैड्यःPaidya (a person/sage)

वराहःVaraha (a person/sage)

शुनकःShunaka

शाण्डिल्यःShandilya

चand

महातपाःgreat ascetic (of great austerity)

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśaṃpāyana

Kākṣīvān

Auśija

Nāciketa

Gautama

Paiḍya

Varāha

Śunaka

Śāṇḍilya

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 underscores the authority of dharma and tradition by invoking a lineage of revered sages and great ascetics (mahātapāḥ), implying that ethical and social order is grounded in the remembered exemplars of tapas, learning, and right conduct.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśaṃpāyana continues a catalog-like enumeration of eminent seers and ascetics, naming several respected figures to situate the discussion within a recognized sacred and ethical tradition.