Shloka 10

आस्तीक-वरप्रदानम् (Āstīka’s Boon and the Interruption of the Sarpa-satra)

Devanagari script

ततस्ते ऋत्विजस्तस्य शास्त्रतो द्विजसत्तम । त॑ं देशं मापयामासुर्यज्ञायतनकारणात्‌,द्विजश्रेष्ठ] तब उन ऋत्विजोंने शास्त्रीय विधिके अनुसार यज्ञमण्डप बनानेके लिये वहाँकी भूमि नाप ली

Transliteration

tataste ṛtvijastasya śāstrato dvijasattama | taṁ deśaṁ māpayāmāsur yajñāyatanakāraṇāt ||

Translation

Then his officiating priests, following the prescriptions of the sacred manuals, measured out that site in order to establish the sacrificial enclosure. The passage underscores that even royal undertakings are to be grounded in śāstra—ritual action is not arbitrary but regulated, orderly, and accountable to tradition.

Word by Word

ततःthen/from thereupon

तेthey

ऋत्विजःpriests (ṛtviks)

तस्यof him/of that (king)

शास्त्रतःaccording to the scriptures

द्विजसत्तमO best of the twice-born

तम्that (place/land)

देशम्region/place

मापयामासुःthey measured (caused to be measured)

यज्ञायतनकारणात्for the purpose of (making) the sacrificial enclosure/altar-site

द्विजश्रेष्ठO best of the twice-born

Speaker

जनमेजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Janamejaya

Ṛ

ṛtvijas (officiating priests)

yajñāyatana (sacrificial ground/enclosure)

deśa (the site/land)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Geographic Context

Sandhi Notes