Shloka 9

Śānti-parva Adhyāya 30: Nārada–Parvata Samaya-bhaṅga, Śāpa, and the Marriage of Sukumārī

Devanagari script

तौ तथेति प्रतिज्ञाय महर्षी लोकपूजितौ

Transliteration

tau tatheti pratijñāya maharṣī lokapūjitau

Translation

Those two world-honoured great sages, having assented with the words “So be it,” gave their pledge—signalling a solemn commitment to act in accordance with what had been agreed, in the spirit of dharma and respected authority.

Word by Word

• तौ: those two
• तौ: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Dual

• तथा: thus, so
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा

• इति: thus (quotative marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति

• प्रतिज्ञाय: having promised, having pledged
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्रति-ज्ञा
• Form: ल्यप् (absolutive/gerund), Parasmaipada (usage-neutral for gerund), Non-finite

• महर्षी: the two great sages
• महर्षी: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: महर्षि
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Dual

• लोकपूजितौ: honoured by the world
• लोकपूजितौ: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: लोक-पूजित
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Dual

Speaker

श्रीकृष्ण उवाच

Characters & Entities

• two great sages (maharṣī)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the ethical weight of a pledge (pratijñā): assent is not casual speech but a binding commitment, especially when made by revered authorities such as sages, whose conduct models dharma for society.

What is happening in the narrative?

Two respected great sages respond “tathā iti” (“so be it”) and formally undertake a promise, indicating their agreement to proceed according to the discussed course of action.