Shloka 23

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

Devanagari script

वायो: सकाशात्‌ प्राप्तश्ष ऋषिभिर्विघसाशिभि:

Transliteration

vaiśampāyana uvāca | vāyoḥ sakāśāt prāptaś ca ṛṣibhir vighasāśibhiḥ | vāyuse vighasāśī ṛṣayo 'nena dharmam upadeśaṃ gṛhītavantaḥ | tebhyo mahodadhiko 'sya uttamasya dharmasya prāptir abhavat | tataś cāyaṃ dharmaḥ punaḥ luptaḥ san bhagavati nārāyaṇe vilīnaḥ ||

Translation

Waiśampāyana berkata: “Dharma ini diperoleh dari hadirat Vāyu oleh para resi yang hidup sebagai vighasāśin (memakan sisa persembahan). Dari mereka, Mahodadhi pun memperoleh dharma yang luhur dan sukar didapat ini. Setelah itu, dharma tersebut kembali lenyap, melebur ke dalam Tuhan Nārāyaṇa.”

Word by Word

• वायोः: of/from Vāyu
• वायोः: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: वायु
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• सकाशात्: from the presence of; from near
• सकाशात्: Apadana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सकाश

• प्राप्तः: obtained; received
• प्राप्तः: Karma
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्राप्
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• ऋषिभिः: by the sages
• ऋषिभिः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋषि
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• विघसाशिभिः: by those who eat remnants (vighasa-eaters)
• विघसाशिभिः: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विघसाशी
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Vāyu
• Ṛṣis (vighasāśin sages)
• Mahodadhi (the great ocean)
• Nārāyaṇa

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Dharma is portrayed as a divine principle that is revealed through worthy transmitters (austere sages) and can later be withdrawn, ultimately resting in Nārāyaṇa. Ethical order is thus not merely human convention but a sacred, cyclical revelation tied to divine will and purity of recipients.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana recounts a lineage of transmission: the vighasāśin sages receive dharma from Vāyu; from them the great ocean (Mahodadhi) attains this excellent dharma; afterward the dharma becomes hidden again, merging back into Nārāyaṇa.