Shloka 15

Vyāsa’s Arrival at Janamejaya’s Sarpasatra; Commissioning of Vaiśaṃpāyana’s Recital (व्यासागमनम्)

Devanagari script

प्रागेवानागते काले तस्मात्‌ त्वं मय्यजायथा: । अयं स काल: सम्प्राप्तो भयान्नस्त्रातुमहसि,देवताके समान तेजस्वी पुत्र! ब्रह्माजीकी वह बात सुनकर नागश्रेष्ठ वासुकिने मुझे तुम्हारे महात्मा पिताकी सेवामें समर्पित कर दिया। यह अवसर आनेसे बहुत पहले इसी निमित्तसे मेरा विवाह किया गया। तदनन्तर उन महर्षिद्वारा मेरे गर्भसे तुम्हारा जन्म हुआ। जनमेजयके सर्पयज्ञका वह पूर्वनिर्दिष्ठ काल आज उपस्थित है (उस यज्ञमें निरन्तर सर्प जल रहे हैं)) अतः उस भयसे तुम उन सबका उद्धार करो। मेरे भाईको भी उस भयंकर अग्निसे बचा लो। जिस उद्देश्यको लेकर तुम्हारे बुद्धिमान्‌ पिताकी सेवामें मैं दी गयी, वह व्यर्थ नहीं जाना चाहिये। अथवा बेटा! सर्पोको इस संकटसे बचानेके लिये तुम क्या उचित समझते हो?

Transliteration

prāgevānāgate kāle tasmāt tvaṃ mayyajāyathāḥ | ayaṃ sa kālaḥ samprāpto bhayān nas trātum arhasi, devatāke samāna tejasvī putra |

Translation

Āstīka said: “Long ago, before the appointed time arrived, you were born to me for this very purpose. Now that very moment has come. Therefore, O radiant son, equal in splendor to a god, you must save us from fear. The time foretold for Janamejaya’s serpent-sacrifice has arrived, and the serpents are being consumed in the fire without cease. Rescue them from this terror—save my brother as well from that dreadful blaze. The purpose for which I was given into the service of your wise and great-souled father must not be rendered futile. Tell me, my child: what do you judge to be the right course to save the serpents from this संकट?”

Word by Word

प्राक्formerly, earlier

एवindeed, just

अनागतेin the not-yet-come (future)

कालेin (that) time

तस्मात्therefore, from that

त्वम्you

मयिin me

अजायथाःyou were born

अयम्this

सःthat (same)

कालःtime

सम्प्राप्तःarrived, come

भयात्from fear, from the danger

नःof us / our

त्रातुम्to protect, to save

अर्हसिyou ought, you are fit

Speaker

आस्तीक उवाच

Characters & Entities

Āstīka

Janamejaya

serpents (Nāgas)

serpent-sacrifice (sarpa-yajña)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

A timely moral duty (dharma) arises when one’s very birth and preparation are oriented toward protecting others; when the destined crisis arrives, one must act with courage and compassion to prevent needless destruction.

What is happening in the narrative?

Āstīka urges her son to intervene because the foretold moment has arrived: Janamejaya’s serpent-sacrifice is underway and serpents are being burned. She reminds him that his birth was for this purpose and asks him to decide the proper means to rescue the Nāgas, including her brother.