Shloka 46

वंशानुकीर्तनम् — Genealogical Recitation from Dakṣa to Yayāti and the Establishment of the Paurava Line

Devanagari script

नानाशाम्त्रेषु मुख्यैश्न शुश्राव स्वनमीरितम्‌ । लोकायतिकमुख्यैश्न समनन्‍्तादनुनादितम्‌

Transliteration

nānāśāstreṣu mukhyeṣu na śuśrāva svanam īritam | lokāyatikamukhyeṣu samanantād anunāditam ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana dit : Dans les nombreux traités majeurs, il n’entendit pas sa propre opinion être proclamée ; mais dans les doctrines de Lokāyata (mondaines, sophistiques) les plus éminentes, elle lui revenait en écho de toutes parts, sans fin.

Word by Word

नानाvarious, many kinds of

शास्त्रेषुin treatises

मुख्यैःby the principal (ones)

नnot

शुश्रावheard

स्वनम्sound, tone

ईरितम्uttered, proclaimed

लोकायतिकpertaining to Lokāyata (materialist reasoning)

मुख्यैःby the principal (ones)

समन्तात्from all sides, all around

अनुनादितम्resounded, echoed

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

śāstra (treatises)

Lokāyata

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 contrasts authoritative śāstric traditions with Lokāyata-style worldly argumentation: true guidance is not secured by mere echoing of one’s own opinions, but by alignment with principled, disciplined teachings; sophistic circles tend to amplify what one already wants to hear.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana describes a situation where a person’s stance finds no confirmation in the major śāstras, yet receives constant reinforcement among Lokāyata-oriented thinkers—suggesting the spread of a view through mutual echo rather than through scriptural or ethical grounding.