Shloka 36

Brāhmaṇa-māhātmya: Tārkṣya’s instruction on tapas, satya, and svadharma

Chapter 182

Devanagari script

ब्रह्मर्षणां सहस्नं हि उवाह शिबिकां मम | स मामपनयो राजन्‌ भ्रंशयामास वै श्रिय:,हजारों ही ब्रह्मर्षि मेरी पालकी ढोते थे। महाराज! मेरे इसी अत्याचारने मुझे स्वर्गकी राज्यलक्ष्मीसे भ्रष्ट कर दिया

Transliteration

brahmarṣīṇāṃ sahasraṃ hi uvāha śibikāṃ mama | sa mām apanayo rājan bhraṃśayāmāsa vai śriyaḥ ||

Translation

La serpiente dijo: «En verdad, mil Brahmarṣis llevaron antaño mi palanquín. Oh rey, ese mismo acto de opresión—hacer que tales sabios me cargaran—fue la causa de mi caída, despojándome de mi fortuna real y de mi esplendor celestial».

Word by Word

• ब्रह्मर्षीणाम्: of the brahmarishis
• ब्रह्मर्षीणाम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मर्षि
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• सहस्रम्: a thousand
• सहस्रम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: सहस्र
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• हि: indeed/for
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि

• उवाह: carried/bore
• Type: Verb
• Root: वह्
• Form: Perfect (Liṭ), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• शिबिकाम्: palanquin
• शिबिकाम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिबिका
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• मम: my/of me
• मम: Sampradana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: —, Genitive, Singular

• सः: he/that (act/person)
• सः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• माम्: me
• माम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: —, Accusative, Singular

• अपनयः: misconduct/abuse (lit. removal/leading away)
• अपनयः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अपनय
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

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

• भ्रंशयामास: caused to fall/ruined
• Type: Verb
• Root: भ्रंशय् (भ्रंश् + णिच्)
• Form: Periphrastic perfect (Liṭ, आम्-प्रयोग), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• वै: indeed/verily
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै

• श्रियाḥ: from prosperity/fortune
• श्रियाḥ: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्री
• Form: Feminine, Ablative, Singular

Speaker

सर्प उवाच

Characters & Entities

• सर्प (the serpent speaker)
• राजन् (the king addressed)
• ब्रह्मर्षि (Brahmarṣis)
• शिबिका (palanquin)
• श्री (fortune/royal splendor)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Arrogance and oppression—especially toward the spiritually eminent—destroy one’s own prosperity. Misuse of status (making Brahmarṣis serve as bearers) becomes a direct cause of loss of Śrī (fortune and royal splendor).

What is happening in the narrative?

A serpent addresses a king and confesses a past wrongdoing: he compelled a thousand Brahmarṣis to carry his palanquin. He explains that this cruelty and moral transgression led to his fall from heavenly/royal fortune.