Shloka 1

Devanagari script

अपना बछ। अर: अष्टादशो< ध्याय: महादेवजीके कोपसे देवता, यज्ञ और जगत्‌की दुरवस्था तथा उनके प्रसादसे सबका स्वस्थ होना श्रीभगवानुवाच ततो देवयुगेडतीते देवा वै समकल्पयन्‌ । यज्ञ वेदप्रमाणेन विधिवद्‌ यष्टमीप्सव:

Transliteration

Vaiśampāyana uvāca | tato devayuge 'tīte devā vai samakalpayan | yajñaṃ vedapramāṇena vidhivad yaṣṭum īpsavaḥ ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana said: When the divine age had passed, the gods resolved among themselves, desiring to perform a sacrifice in strict accordance with Vedic authority and proper ritual procedure. The verse frames a return to order through Vedic rite: when cosmic conditions shift, the guardians of the world seek restoration not by force but by disciplined, lawful worship.

Word by Word

ततःthen, thereafter

देवयुगेin the age/epoch of the gods

अतीतेhaving passed, elapsed

देवाःthe gods

वैindeed, surely

समकल्पयन्they arranged, they resolved/undertook

यज्ञम्sacrifice

वेदप्रमाणेनby Vedic authority/according to the Veda as proof

विधिवत्according to rule, duly

यष्टुम्to sacrifice, to perform (a yajña)

ईप्सवःdesiring, wishing

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Devāḥ (the gods)

Yajña

Veda

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?

When disorder or transition arises in the world, restoration is sought through dharmic means—here, by aligning action with Vedic authority (veda-pramāṇa) and correct procedure (vidhi), emphasizing disciplined, lawful conduct over impulsive power.

What is happening in the narrative?

The narrator introduces a background episode: after a divine era had elapsed, the gods collectively decide to undertake a properly regulated Vedic sacrifice, setting the stage for later developments involving cosmic imbalance and its remedy.