Shloka 12

मधुकैटभवधोपाख्यानम्

The Account of the Slaying of Madhu and Kaiṭabha

Devanagari script

नाना ब्रह्मसमाचारै: सेवितानि द्विजोत्तमै: | ततो<वतीर्य रम्यायां पृथ्व्यां राजज्छतक्रतु:,राजन! विचित्र आश्रमों, नाना प्रकारकी कल्याण-कारिणी नदियों, समृद्धिशाली नगरों, गाँवों, जनपदों, प्रजापालन-कुशल धर्मात्मा नरेशों, कुओं, पौसलों, बावलियों, तालाबों तथा ब्रह्मचर्यपरायण श्रेष्ठ ब्राह्मणोंद्वारा सेवित अनेकानेक सरोवरोंका अवलोकन करते हुए शतक्रतु इन्द्र एक रमणीय भूभागमें उतरे

Transliteration

vaiśampāyana uvāca | nānā-brahma-samācāraiḥ sevitāni dvijottamaiḥ | tato 'vatīrya ramyāyāṃ pṛthivyāṃ rājañ śatakratuḥ |

Translation

Dijo Vaiśampāyana: Habiendo contemplado muchas aguas sagradas y retiros santos—custodiados y frecuentados por los más eminentes dvijas, ricos en diversas observancias védicas—Śatakratu (Indra) descendió entonces a una región deleitosa de la tierra, oh rey. La escena revela una tierra sostenida por el dharma: brahmacarya disciplinado, lugares de culto y aprendizaje bien atendidos, y reyes justos que protegen a su pueblo, haciendo el mundo digno de la presencia divina.

Word by Word

नानाvarious, many kinds of

ब्रह्मसमाचारैःby various Brahmanical observances/usages

सेवितानिserved, attended, frequented

द्विजोत्तमैःby the best of the twice-born (Brahmins)

ततःthen, from there

अवतीर्यhaving descended

रम्यायाम्in a delightful (place)

पृथ्व्याम्on the earth, in the land

राजत्shining, resplendent

शतक्रतुःŚatakratu (Indra)

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Janamejaya

Indra (Śatakratu)

dvijottamas (eminent brāhmaṇas)

pṛthivī (earth)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse links the well-being of the world to dharmic institutions: places sanctified by Vedic discipline and brahmacarya, and communities guided by learned brāhmaṇas. Such sustained righteousness makes the earth ‘ramyā’—fit for divine attention—implying that ethical order and sacred practice uphold social and cosmic harmony.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Vaiśampāyana’s narration to King Janamejaya, Indra (Śatakratu) is described as descending to a beautiful region of the earth after observing many holy sites frequented by eminent brāhmaṇas and marked by diverse Vedic observances.