Shloka 24

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

Devanagari script

ततो महोददघिश्नैव प्राप्तवान्‌ धर्ममुत्तमम्‌ । अन्तर्दधे ततो भूयो नारायणसमाहित:ः

Transliteration

tato mahodadhiś caiva prāptavān dharmam uttamam | antardadhe tato bhūyo nārāyaṇa-samāhitaḥ ||

Translation

Alors Mahodadhi aussi atteignit cet enseignement suprême du dharma. Puis ce dharma se déroba encore, réabsorbé en Nārāyaṇa, demeuré recueilli en son propre état divin.

Word by Word

• ततः: then, thereafter
• ततः: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (तद्-प्रातिपदिकात् अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya

• महोदधिः: the great ocean
• महोदधिः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: महोदधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya

• एव: indeed, just
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya

• प्राप्तवान्: obtained, attained
• प्राप्तवान्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्राप् (धातु) → प्राप्तवत् (कृत्-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular (कर्तरि क्तवत्; perfective past sense)

• धर्मम्: dharma, sacred law/teaching
• धर्मम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• उत्तमम्: supreme, excellent
• उत्तमम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular (agreeing with धर्मम्)

• अन्तर्दधे: disappeared, became hidden
• Type: Verb
• Root: धा (धातु) with अन्तर्- (upasarga) → अन्तर्दधा
• Form: Perfect (लिट्), 3rd person, Singular, Parasmaipada

• ततः: then, thereafter
• ततः: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (तद्-प्रातिपदिकात् अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya

• भूयः: again, once more
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: भूयस् (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya

• नारायण-समाहितः: absorbed/merged in Narayana
• नारायण-समाहितः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: समाहित (कृत्-प्रातिपदिक, सम्+आ+धा) / नारायण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśaṃpāyana
• Mahodadhi
• Nārāyaṇa
• Dharma

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Dharma is portrayed as a supreme, sacred teaching that originates in the divine (Nārāyaṇa), is transmitted through worthy recipients, and may later become 'hidden' again—implying that ethical knowledge is both revealed through lineage and ultimately grounded in a transcendent source.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśaṃpāyana states that Mahodadhi attained the highest dharma; then that dharma withdrew and became reabsorbed into Nārāyaṇa. The accompanying sense is of a teaching received by sages, passed on, and then no longer manifest in the world for a time.