Shloka 29

Nāga-āyatana-darśana-pratīkṣā — The Brāhmaṇa’s Request and Waiting on the Gomatī

Devanagari script

वैशम्पायन उवाच नमो भगवते तस्मै व्यासायामिततेजसे

Transliteration

Vaiśampāyana uvāca: namo bhagavate tasmai vyāsāyāmitatejase.

Translation

Vaiśampāyana dijo: “¡Salve a aquel Señor Bienaventurado—Vyāsa—cuyo esplendor es inconmensurable!” Con esta invocación reverente, el narrador enmarca el discurso que sigue como sagrado y autorizado, asentando la enseñanza en la devoción y la gratitud hacia el sabio que preserva el dharma por medio de la Escritura.

Word by Word

वैशम्पायनःVaiśampāyana

उवाचsaid

नमःsalutation; homage

भगवतेto the Blessed Lord

तस्मैto him

व्यासायto Vyāsa

अमिततेजसेto (him) of immeasurable splendor

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Vyāsa (Kṛṣṇa Dvaipāyana)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse models dhārmic humility: before transmitting instruction, the speaker offers homage to Vyāsa, affirming that wisdom is received through a lineage and should be approached with reverence and gratitude.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana, as narrator, begins or resumes a section by invoking Vyāsa with a formal salutation, signaling a transition into an important teaching and establishing the sanctity and credibility of what follows.