Shloka 32

Nāga-āyatana-darśana-pratīkṣā — The Brāhmaṇa’s Request and Waiting on the Gomatī

Devanagari script

पश्चादस्याभवद्‌ राजन्नात्मन: साध्वसं महत्‌ | यद्‌ गत्वा दूरमध्वानं क्षेमी पुनरिहागत:

Transliteration

paścād asyābhavad rājann ātmanaḥ sādhvasaṃ mahat | yad gatvā dūram adhvānaṃ kṣemī punar ihāgataḥ nara-īśvara |

Translation

Vaiśampāyana berkata: “Kemudian, wahai Raja, timbullah keheranan besar dalam dirinya: bagaimana setelah menempuh jalan yang begitu jauh, ia dapat kembali ke sini dengan selamat.”

Word by Word

• पश्चात्: afterwards
• पश्चात्: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पश्चात्

• अस्य: of him
• अस्य: Adhikarana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: इदम्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Singular

• अभवत्: arose/occurred
• अभवत्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू
• Form: Imperfect, 3, Singular, Parasmaipada

• राजन्: O king
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन्
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• आत्मनः: in his mind/for himself (lit. of self)
• आत्मनः: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्मन्
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• साध्वसम्: astonishment/wonder (also: fear)
• साध्वसम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: साध्वस
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• महत्: great
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत्
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• यत्: because/that (which)
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद्
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• गत्वा: having gone
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम्
• Form: क्त्वा (absolutive), Parasmaipada (usage)

• दूरम्: far (a long distance)
• दूरम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दूर
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• अध्वानम्: road/journey
• अध्वानम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: अध्वन्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• क्षेमी: safe/unharmed
• क्षेमी: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: क्षेमिन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• पुनः: again
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः

• इह: here
• इह: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इह

• आगतः: returned/come
• आगतः: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-गम्
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• नर-ईश्वर: O lord of men (king)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नरेश्वर
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• rājan (the king addressed)
• nareśvara (lord of men addressed)
• a distant road/journey (adhvāna)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights reflective wonder at safe return after great distance, implying that outcomes—especially safety amid uncertainty—invite humility and contemplation about unseen supports (fortune, dharma, or providential order).

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana narrates that, after an eventful journey, the person in question becomes deeply astonished, thinking about how he managed to travel far and yet come back here unharmed; the statement is addressed to the king listening to the account.