Shloka 31

Devanagari script

अत्र गाथा: पुरा गीता: शृणु राज्ञा ययातिना । धार्यन्ते या द्विजैस्तात मोक्षशास्त्रविशारदै:,तात! इस विषयमें पूर्वकालमें राजा ययातिके द्वारा गायी हुई गाथाएँ सुनिये, जिन्हें मोक्षशास्त्रके ज्ञाता द्विज सदा याद रखते हैं

Transliteration

atra gāthāḥ purā gītāḥ śṛṇu rājñā yayātinā | dhāryante yā dvijais tāta mokṣaśāstraviśāradaiḥ ||

Translation

Janaka said: “Now listen, dear one, to the ancient verses once sung by King Yayāti—verses that learned Brahmins, well-versed in the teachings of liberation, preserve and keep in memory.”

Word by Word

अत्रhere

गाथाःverses, songs (gāthās)

पुराformerly, in olden times

गीताःsung, recited

शृणुhear, listen

राज्ञाby the king

ययातिनाby Yayāti

धार्यन्तेare borne/retained (in memory), are kept

याःwhich (fem. pl.)

द्विजैःby the twice-born (Brahmins)

तातdear one, son (voc.)

मोक्षशास्त्रविशारदैःby those skilled in the mokṣa-śāstra

Speaker

जनक उवाच

Characters & Entities

Janaka

Yayāti

dvija (Brahmin sages)

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?

Authoritative guidance on liberation is preserved through remembered, time-tested verses; Janaka signals that the coming instruction is rooted in an ancient royal-sage tradition (Yayāti) and validated by experts in mokṣa-śāstra.

What is happening in the narrative?

Janaka introduces a set of ancient gāthās attributed to King Yayāti and invites the listener to hear them, noting that learned Brahmins who specialize in teachings on liberation keep these verses in continual remembrance.