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Shloka 80

अनुक्रमणिकाध्यायः (Anukramaṇikā Adhyāya) — Invocation, Narrator Frame, and Textual Scope

ग्रन्थग्रन्थिं तदा चक्रे मुनिर्गूठं कुतूहलात्‌ । यस्मिन्‌ प्रतिज्ञया प्राह मुनिर्द्धपायनस्त्विदम्‌,तब व्यासजी भी कुतूहलवश ग्रन्थमें गाँठ लगाने लगे। वे ऐसे-ऐसे श्लोक बोल देते जिनका अर्थ बाहरसे दूसरा मालूम पड़ता और भीतर कुछ और होता। इसके सम्बन्धमें प्रतिज्ञापूर्वक श्रीकृष्णद्वैपायन मुनिने यह बात कही है--

grantha-granthiṁ tadā cakre munir gūḍhaṁ kutūhalāt | yasmin pratijñayā prāha munir dvaipāyanas tv idam ||

Entonces el sabio, movido por la curiosidad, empezó a atar “nudos” en el texto: compuso deliberadamente pasajes con giros ocultos de sentido. En ese mismo contexto, el sabio Kṛṣṇa-Dvaipāyana (Vyāsa) hizo una solemne declaración sobre esta práctica: que ciertos versos parecerían significar una cosa en lo exterior, mientras que en lo interior transmitirían otra, poniendo a prueba el discernimiento y resguardando la integridad del relato.

ग्रन्थग्रन्थिम्a knot in the text (book-knot)
ग्रन्थग्रन्थिम्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootग्रन्थ-ग्रन्थि
FormFeminine, Accusative, Singular
तदाthen
तदा:
Adhikarana
TypeIndeclinable
Rootतदा
and
:
TypeIndeclinable
Root
चक्रेmade / fashioned
चक्रे:
TypeVerb
Rootकृ
FormPerfect (Liṭ), Third, Singular, Atmanepada
मुनिःthe sage
मुनिः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootमुनि
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
गूढम्hidden / cryptic (thing)
गूढम्:
Karma
TypeAdjective
Rootगूढ
FormNeuter, Accusative, Singular
कुतूहलात्out of curiosity
कुतूहलात्:
Apadana
TypeNoun
Rootकुतूहल
FormNeuter, Ablative, Singular
यस्मिन्in which
यस्मिन्:
Adhikarana
TypePronoun
Rootयद्
FormNeuter, Locative, Singular
प्रतिज्ञयाby a vow / with a promise
प्रतिज्ञया:
Karana
TypeNoun
Rootप्रतिज्ञा
FormFeminine, Instrumental, Singular
प्राहsaid / declared
प्राह:
TypeVerb
Rootप्र+अह्
FormPerfect (Liṭ), Third, Singular, Parasmaipada
मुनिःthe sage
मुनिः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootमुनि
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
द्वैपायनःDvaipāyana (Vyāsa)
द्वैपायनः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootद्वैपायन
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
तुbut / indeed
तु:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootतु
इदम्this (statement/thing)
इदम्:
Karma
TypePronoun
Rootइदम्
FormNeuter, Accusative, Singular
K
Kṛṣṇa-Dvaipāyana (Vyāsa)
M
muni (the sage/author)

Educational Q&A

The verse highlights that sacred narrative can contain deliberate ‘knots’—cryptic constructions that require careful interpretation. It encourages disciplined reading, discernment, and respect for layered meaning rather than taking every statement only at face value.

Vyāsa is described as intentionally inserting hidden or puzzling turns of phrase into the composition, and he is about to (or does) make a formal declaration (pratijñā) explaining or justifying this method—signaling that some verses have an outer sense and an inner sense.