Shloka 24

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

Devanagari script

आस्तीक उवाच न संतापस्त्वया कार्य: कथंचित्‌ पन्नगोत्तम | प्रदीप्ताग्ने: समुत्पन्नं नाशयिष्यामि ते भयम्‌,आस्तीकने कहा--नागप्रवर! आपको मनमें किसी प्रकार संताप नहीं करना चाहिये। सर्पयज्ञकी धधकती हुई आगसे जो भय आपको प्राप्त हुआ है, मैं उसका नाश कर दूँगा

Transliteration

Āstīka uvāca—na santāpas tvayā kāryaḥ kathaṃcit pannagottama | pradīptāgneḥ samutpannaṃ nāśayiṣyāmi te bhayam ||

Translation

Āstīka said: “O best of serpents, you should not give way to distress in any manner. The fear that has arisen for you from the blazing fire of this serpent-sacrifice—I will bring it to an end.”

Word by Word

आस्तीकःĀstīka

उवाचsaid

नnot

संतापःdistress, anguish

त्वयाby you / for you (as concerned person)

कार्यःto be done; (here) to be entertained/kept

कथंचित्in any way, at all

पन्नगोत्तमO best of serpents

प्रदीप्ताग्नेःfrom the blazing fire

समुत्पन्नम्arisen, produced

नाशयिष्यामिI will destroy

तेyour

भयम्fear

Speaker

आस्तीक उवाच

Characters & Entities

Āstīka

pannagottama (a foremost serpent, contextually Takṣaka/serpent-kind)

pradīptāgni (the blazing sacrificial fire of the 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?

Do not surrender to panic when danger arises; righteous, timely intervention grounded in compassion can avert even seemingly inevitable harm. Āstīka models dharmic courage—calming the threatened and taking responsibility to remove fear.

What is happening in the narrative?

During Janamejaya’s serpent-sacrifice, serpents are being drawn toward the blazing sacrificial fire. Āstīka addresses a foremost serpent, reassuring him not to grieve and promising to neutralize the fear caused by the fire—foreshadowing Āstīka’s role in stopping the sacrifice.