Shloka 46

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

Devanagari script

बहिंषद्धयश्न सम्प्राप्त: सामवेदान्तगं द्विजम्‌ । ज्येष्ठ नामाभिविख्यातं॑ ज्येष्ठसामव्रतो हरि:

Transliteration

Vaiśampāyana uvāca | Barhiṣad-dhayaśnaḥ samprāptaḥ Sāmavedānta-gaṃ dvijam | Jyeṣṭha-nāmābhivikhyātaṃ Jyeṣṭha-sāma-vrato Hariḥ ||

Translation

वैशम्पायन बोले—बर्हिषद् धयश्न ऋषि से प्रवृत्त यह धर्मोपदेश सामवेद के वेदान्त में पारंगत, ‘ज्येष्ठ’ नाम से प्रसिद्ध एक द्विज ब्राह्मण तक पहुँचा। उसने ज्येष्ठ-साम के व्रत का अनुष्ठान लिया था; इसलिए वह ‘हरि’—ज्येष्ठ-साम-व्रती—कहलाया।

Word by Word

• [{'term': 'Vaiśampāyana uvāca', 'definition': 'Vaiśampāyana said (narrator’s speech marker)'}, {'term': 'samprāptaḥ', 'definition': 'reached

• was transmitted to'}, {'term': 'Sāmavedānta-ga', 'definition': 'one who has gone to/attained the end (culmination) of the Sāmaveda

• a consummate knower of Sāmavedic learning'}, {'term': 'dvija', 'definition': 'twice-born

• a Brahmin (or member of the twice-born varṇas), here specifically a Brahmin'}, {'term': 'jyeṣṭha-nāma', 'definition': 'having the name ‘Jyeṣṭha’

• known as Jyeṣṭha'}, {'term': 'abhivikhyāta', 'definition': 'well-known

• renowned'}, {'term': 'vrata', 'definition': 'vow

• disciplined practice'}, {'term': 'Jyeṣṭha-sāma-vrata / Jyeṣṭha-sāman', 'definition': 'an observance connected with a specific Sāmavedic chant (sāman) named ‘Jyeṣṭha’'}, {'term': 'Hariḥ', 'definition': 'Hari (a personal name here

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Barhiṣad Dhayaśna
• Jyeṣṭha (Brahmin)
• Hari (Jyeṣṭha-sāma-vratin)
• Sāmaveda
• Jyeṣṭha-sāman

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how dharma is preserved and conveyed through disciplined lineages: a dharma-instruction is transmitted to a qualified recipient—one renowned, Veda-trained, and committed to a specific vow—implying that ethical teaching is safeguarded by learning (śruti mastery) and practice (vrata).

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana identifies the recipient of a dharma-upadeśa: a Brahmin named Jyeṣṭha, expert in Sāmavedic learning, who is also called Hari because he undertook the Jyeṣṭha-sāman observance; the verse functions as a link in the chain of transmission of the discourse.