Shloka 13

Sabhā-praveśa, Dāna, and the Courtly Convergence (सभा-प्रवेशः दानं च)

Devanagari script

दामोष्णीषस्त्रैबलिश्व पर्णादो घटजानुक: । मौज्जायनो वायुभक्ष: पाराशर्यश्ष सारिक:

Transliteration

dāmoṣṇīṣas traibaliś ca parṇādo ghaṭajānukaḥ | maujjāyano vāyubhakṣaḥ pārāśaryaś ca sārikāḥ ||

Translation

Dijo Vaiśampāyana: «Había también otros ascetas, de votos severos y señales singulares: uno con el turbante ceñido como cuerda; otro vinculado al rey Bali; uno que vivía de hojas; otro cuyas rodillas eran como una vasija (por la postura sostenida); uno que vestía hierba muñja; otro que vivía sólo del aire; y el hijo de Parāśara; y otros más».

Word by Word

दामgarland/rope

उष्णीषःturban/head-dress

त्रैबलिःTraibali (a proper name/epithet)

चand

पर्णादःleaf-eater

घटजानुकःpot-kneed (one whose knees are like pots)

मौज्जायनःMaujjāyana (a proper name/patronymic)

वायुभक्षःair-eater (one who lives on air)

पाराशर्यःPārāśarya (son/descendant of Parāśara; Vyāsa)

चand

सारिकःSārika (a proper name)

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Bali

Parāśara

Pārāśarya (Vyāsa)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse emphasizes that spiritual standing in the epic world is often signaled by disciplined restraint and distinctive vows (tapas). By naming varied austerities, it presents self-control and renunciation as socially acknowledged sources of moral and religious authority.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana is enumerating notable ascetics/sages associated with the scene, identifying them through epithets based on their practices (living on leaves, on air, wearing muñja-grass, etc.) and lineage (e.g., Pārāśarya). It functions as a descriptive roll-call to convey the breadth of holy presence.