Shloka 16

Āścarya-kathana: Brāhmaṇa–Nāga Dialogue on Sūrya (Vivasvat) and the ‘Second Sun’ Phenomenon

Devanagari script

यदासीच्चाक्षुषं जन्म द्वितीयं ब्रह्मणो नृूप । तदा पितामहेनैव सोमाद्‌ धर्म: परिश्रुत:

Transliteration

yad āsīc cākṣuṣaṁ janma dvitīyaṁ brahmaṇo nṛpa | tadā pitāmahenaiva somād dharmaḥ pariśrutaḥ ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana dijo: «Oh rey, cuando el Creador Brahmā entró en su segundo nacimiento, conocido como el Cākṣuṣa (Manvantara), entonces el Dharma fue oído y recibido—transmitido por el propio Pitāmaha—desde Soma».

Word by Word

• यत्: which/that (thing)
• यत्: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद्
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• आसीत्: was
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस्
• Form: Imperfect, 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• चाक्षुषम्: pertaining to Cākṣuṣa (Manu/period)
• चाक्षुषम्: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चाक्षुष
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• जन्म: birth
• जन्म: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन्मन्
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• द्वितीयम्: second
• द्वितीयम्: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्वितीय
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• ब्रह्मणः: of Brahmā
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन्
• Form: Neuter, Genitive, Singular

• नृप: O king
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृप
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• तदा: then
• तदा: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा

• पितामहेन: by the Grandsire (Brahmā)
• पितामहेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितामह
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• एव: indeed/just
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

• सोमात्: from Soma
• सोमात्: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: सोम
• Form: Masculine, Ablative, Singular

• धर्मः: Dharma
• धर्मः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• परिश्रुतः: was heard/was renowned (as heard of)
• Type: Participle
• Root: परि-श्रु (श्रुत)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular, Passive, Past passive participle (क्त)

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Brahmā
• Pitāmaha (Brahmā)
• Soma
• Dharma
• Cākṣuṣa (Manvantara)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Dharma is presented as an ancient, authoritative tradition transmitted through exalted cosmic figures; its legitimacy rests on lineage (paramparā) and on being ‘heard’ and preserved across epochs.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana situates the account in a specific cosmic period (the Cākṣuṣa Manvantara) and states that, in that time, Dharma was received and propagated—Brahmā (the Grandsire) conveying what came from Soma—thereby grounding the discourse on Dharma in primordial history.