Shloka 37

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

Devanagari script

ततः स्वरोचिष: पुत्र स्वयं शड्खपदं नृप । अध्यापयत्‌ पुराव्यग्र: सर्वलोकपतिर्वि भु:

Transliteration

tataḥ svarociṣaḥ putraḥ svayaṃ śaṅkhapadaṃ nṛpa | adhyāpayat purāvyagraḥ sarvalokapatir vibhuḥ ||

Translation

Puis, ô roi, le fils de Svarociṣa (Manu) — le puissant seigneur et souverain de tous les mondes en ces temps anciens — instruisit lui-même son propre fils Śaṅkhapada, lui transmettant avec calme la connaissance de ce dharma.

Word by Word

• ततः: then, thereafter
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (तद्-प्रातिपदिकात्)

• स्वरोचिषः: of Svarociṣ (Svarociṣ Manu)
• Type: Noun/Adjective
• Root: स्वरोचिष् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• पुत्रम्: son
• पुत्रम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• स्वयम्: himself
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्वयम्

• शङ्खपदम्: Śaṅkhapada (proper name)
• शङ्खपदम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: शङ्खपद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• नृप: O king
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• अध्यापयत्: taught, instructed
• Type: Verb
• Root: अधि + √इ (अध्यापयति; causative of √इ/√अय् in sense 'to teach')
• Form: Imperfect (Laṅ), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• पुरा: formerly, in olden times
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरा

• अव्यग्रः: unagitated, calm, undistracted
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अव्यग्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• सर्वलोकपतिः: lord of all worlds
• सर्वलोकपतिः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्वलोकपति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• विभुः: the mighty one; sovereign
• विभुः: Karta
• Type: Noun/Adjective
• Root: विभु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśaṃpāyana
• Svarociṣ Manu
• Śaṅkhapada

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Dharma is preserved and transmitted through responsible instruction: a rightful ruler (Manu) personally teaches his heir, emphasizing calm, deliberate education as the foundation of ethical governance.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśaṃpāyana recounts an ancient episode in which Svarociṣ Manu, described as the lord of all worlds, personally teaches his son Śaṅkhapada the principles of dharma, framing the tradition of dharma as a lineage-based transmission.