Shloka 23

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

Devanagari script

वायो: सकाशात्‌ प्राप्तश्ष ऋषिभिर्विघसाशिभि:

Transliteration

vaiśampāyana uvāca | vāyoḥ sakāśāt prāptaś ca ṛṣibhir vighasāśibhiḥ | vāyuse vighasāśī ṛṣayo 'nena dharmam upadeśaṃ gṛhītavantaḥ | tebhyo mahodadhiko 'sya uttamasya dharmasya prāptir abhavat | tataś cāyaṃ dharmaḥ punaḥ luptaḥ san bhagavati nārāyaṇe vilīnaḥ ||

Translation

Dijo Vaiśampāyana: Este dharma fue obtenido en presencia de Vāyu por sabios que vivían de vighasa, los restos de las ofrendas y del alimento. Aquellos ṛṣi vighasāśin recibieron esta enseñanza del dharma; de ellos, el gran océano (Mahodadhi) llegó a poseer este excelente dharma. Después, ese dharma volvió a ocultarse, fundiéndose de nuevo en el Señor Nārāyaṇa, como si la ley sagrada se revelara por tiempos a los dignos y luego se retirara a su fuente divina.

Word by Word

• वायोः: of/from Vāyu
• वायोः: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: वायु
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• सकाशात्: from the presence of; from near
• सकाशात्: Apadana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सकाश

• प्राप्तः: obtained; received
• प्राप्तः: Karma
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्राप्
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• ऋषिभिः: by the sages
• ऋषिभिः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋषि
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• विघसाशिभिः: by those who eat remnants (vighasa-eaters)
• विघसाशिभिः: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विघसाशी
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Vāyu
• Ṛṣis (vighasāśin sages)
• Mahodadhi (the great ocean)
• Nārāyaṇa

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Dharma is portrayed as a divine principle that is revealed through worthy transmitters (austere sages) and can later be withdrawn, ultimately resting in Nārāyaṇa. Ethical order is thus not merely human convention but a sacred, cyclical revelation tied to divine will and purity of recipients.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana recounts a lineage of transmission: the vighasāśin sages receive dharma from Vāyu; from them the great ocean (Mahodadhi) attains this excellent dharma; afterward the dharma becomes hidden again, merging back into Nārāyaṇa.