Shloka 2

Āstīka Stops the Sarpa-satra; Royal Closure and Protective Phalaśruti (आस्तीकः सर्पसत्रनिवर्तनम्)

Devanagari script

के सदस्या बभूवुश्न सर्पसत्रे सुदारुणे । विषादजनने>त्यर्थ पन्नगानां महाभये,उस अत्यन्त भयंकर सर्पसत्रमें, जो सर्पोके लिये महान्‌ भयदायक और विषादजनक था, कौन-कौनसे मुनि सदस्य हुए थे?

Transliteration

śaunaka uvāca |

ke sadasyā babhūvuś ca sarpasatre sudāruṇe |

viṣādajanane 'tyarthaṁ pannagānāṁ mahābhaye ||

Translation

Dijo Śaunaka: «¿Quiénes fueron los sabios presentes como miembros oficiantes en aquel sacrificio de serpientes, tan terrible—un acto que sembraba honda desolación y gran terror entre los nāgas?»

Word by Word

केwhich (ones)? who (pl.)?

सदस्याःmembers (of the assembly/ritual session)

बभूवुःwere; became

सर्पसत्रेin the snake-sacrifice (snake-session)

सुदारुणेvery dreadful

विषादजननेcausing despair/sorrow

इतिthus; so

अर्थेin the sense/meaning (i.e., as being)

पन्नगानाम्of the serpents

महाभयेin great fear; in a great terror

Speaker

शौनक उवाच

Characters & Entities

Śaunaka

sarpasatra (serpent-sacrifice)

pannagāḥ (serpents/nāgas)

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse foregrounds ethical scrutiny of ritual power: even a formally sanctioned sacrifice can be ‘dreadful’ when driven by fear, grief, or vengeance, prompting inquiry into who endorsed and participated in it.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Naimiṣa forest dialogue setting, Śaunaka asks about the composition of the sacrificial assembly at the terrifying sarpasatra—seeking to know which sages served as members in that rite that threatened the serpents.