Shloka 14

Atithi-prāpti and the Brāhmaṇa’s Deliberation on Triadic Dharma (अतिथिप्राप्तिः धर्मत्रयविचारश्च)

Devanagari script

एतन्मे संशयं विप्र हृदि शल्यमिवार्पितम्‌ । छिन्धीतिहासकथनात्‌ पर कौतूहलं हि मे,विप्रवर! यह संशय मेरे हृदयमें काँटेके समान चुभता है। आप इतिहास सुनाकर मेरे संदेहका निवारण करें। मेरे मनमें इस विषयको जाननेके लिये बड़ी उत्कण्ठा हो रही है

Transliteration

etan me saṁśayaṁ vipra hṛdi śalyam ivārpitam | chindhīti hāsakathanāt para kautūhalaṁ hi me ||

Translation

Janamejaya dijo: «¡Oh brahmán! Esta duda mía está clavada en mi corazón como una espina. Arráncala relatando el antiguo relato (itihāsa), pues ardo en deseo de conocer la verdad de este asunto».

Word by Word

• {'etat': 'this (matter)', 'me': 'my / of me', 'saṁśayam': 'doubt, uncertainty', 'vipra': 'Brahmin

• learned priest/sage', 'hṛdi': 'in the heart', 'śalyam': 'a thorn

• figuratively a painful, nagging doubt', 'iva': 'like, as if', 'ārpitam': 'placed, lodged, implanted', 'chindhi': 'cut (it) off

• resolve', 'itihāsa-kathanāt': 'by narration of itihāsa (traditional historical/epic account)', 'para': 'O excellent one

• O best (vocative sense)', 'kautūhalam': 'curiosity, eager interest', 'hi': 'indeed, surely'}

Speaker

जनमेजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Janamejaya
• vipra (a Brahmin sage/interlocutor)
• itihāsa (traditional epic account)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

A sincere seeker should openly state doubt and request clarification; traditional narrative (itihāsa) is presented as a valid means to remove inner confusion and guide one toward dharma.

What is happening in the narrative?

Janamejaya addresses a learned Brahmin and asks him to resolve a troubling doubt, comparing it to a thorn in the heart, and urges him to explain through an authoritative epic account.