Shloka 2

Devanagari script

अयं वै कीदृशस्तेन मम दत्तो महात्मना | मन्त्रग्रामो बल॑ तस्य ज्ञास्ये नातिचिरादिति,“उन महात्मा ब्राह्मणने मुझे यह कैसा मन्त्रसमूह प्रदान किया है? उसके बलको मैं शीघ्र ही (परीक्षाद्वारा) जानूँगी'

Transliteration

vaiśaṃpāyana uvāca | ayaṃ vai kīdṛśas tena mama datto mahātmanā | mantragrāmo balaṃ tasya jñāsye nāticirād iti |

Translation

Vaiśaṃpāyana said: “What sort of collection of mantras has that great-souled one given me? Before long, I shall test it and learn its power.”

Word by Word

अयम्this

वैindeed

कीदृशःof what kind?

तेनby him / with that

ममof me / my

दत्तःgiven

महात्मनाby the great-souled one

मन्त्रग्रामःa collection of mantras

बलम्power, strength

तस्यof it / of him

ज्ञास्येI shall know / ascertain

नnot

अतिचिरात्after a very long time (i.e., not long)

इतिthus (quotative)

Speaker

वैशग्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśaṃpāyana

mahātmā (a great-souled brāhmaṇa, unnamed)

mantragrāma (collection of mantras)

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights discernment and responsible inquiry: even a sacred gift like a mantra-collection should be understood through careful verification of its efficacy, not merely accepted on assumption.

What is happening in the narrative?

The speaker reports a character’s reaction after receiving a set of mantras from a great brāhmaṇa: she wonders what kind it is and resolves to test it soon to learn its true power.