Shloka 21

आरण्यकपर्वणि अध्यायः २१६ — इन्द्र-स्कन्द-संमुखता वज्रप्रहारश्च

Indra approaches Skanda; vajra strike and the arising of Viśākha

Devanagari script

व्याध उवाच अनतिक्रमणीया वै ब्राह्मुणा मे द्विजोत्तम | शृणु सर्वमिदं वृत्तं पूर्वदेहे ममानघ

Transliteration

vyādha uvāca | anatikramaṇīyā vai brāhmaṇā me dvijottama | śṛṇu sarvam idaṁ vṛttaṁ pūrvadehe mamānagha ||

Translation

Le chasseur dit : «Ô le meilleur des deux-fois-nés, je ne dois jamais commettre d’offense envers les brāhmanes. Ô toi sans tache, écoute : je vais te raconter en entier ce qui advint par mon corps dans une vie antérieure.»

Word by Word

• {'vyādhaḥ': 'a hunter

• here, the Dharma-vyādha (the righteous hunter)', 'uvāca': 'said', 'anatikramaṇīyāḥ': 'not to be overstepped

• not to be violated/transgressed', 'vai': 'indeed

• emphatic particle', 'brāhmaṇāḥ': 'brāhmaṇas

• members of the priestly/learned class', 'me': 'by me

• for me', 'dvijottama': 'best of the twice-born (honorific for a brāhmaṇa)', 'śṛṇu': 'listen', 'sarvam': 'all

• entirely', 'idam': 'this', 'vṛttam': 'what happened

• the account/occurrence', 'pūrvadehe': 'in a former body

• in a previous life', 'mama': 'of me

• my', 'anagha': 'sinless one

Speaker

व्याध उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vyādha (Dharma-vyādha)
• Brāhmaṇa
• Dvijottama (addressed brāhmaṇa)
• Anagha (addressed brāhmaṇa)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

One should not violate or disrespect brāhmaṇas; ethical restraint and reverence for dharma are emphasized, along with the idea that one’s present understanding is shaped by past-life actions and experiences.

What is happening in the narrative?

The Dharma-vyādha addresses a brāhmaṇa respectfully and begins a retrospective account, stating that he will narrate an incident from his former life to explain his present conduct and insight into dharma.