Shloka 13

अध्याय ५७ — राजोपरिचरवसोः धर्मोपदेशः, सत्यवत्याः उत्पत्तिः, व्यासजन्म च

Adhyāya 57: Indra’s Counsel to King Vasu; Origin of Satyavatī; Birth of Vyāsa

Devanagari script

पारावत: पारिजात: पाण्डरो हरिण: कृश: । विहड़: शरभो मेद: प्रमोद: संहतापन:,एरक: कुण्डलो वेणी वेणीस्कन्ध: कुमारक: । बाहुकः शंगवेरश्व धूर्तक: प्रातरातकौ

Transliteration

śaunaka uvāca |

pārāvataḥ pārijātaḥ pāṇḍaro hariṇaḥ kṛśaḥ |

vihaḍaḥ śarabho medaḥ pramodaḥ saṃhatāpanaḥ |

erakaḥ kuṇḍalo veṇī veṇīskandhaḥ kumārakaḥ |

bāhukaḥ śaṅgaverāśva dhūrtakaḥ prātarātakau ||

Translation

Śaunaka said: “(Among them were) Pārāvata, Pārijāta, Pāṇḍara, Hariṇa, and Kṛśa; also Vihaḍa, Śarabha, Meda, Pramoda, and Saṃhatāpana; likewise Eraka, Kuṇḍala, Veṇī, Veṇīskandha, and Kumāraka; and Bāhuka, Śaṅgaverāśva, Dhūrtaka, and the two named Prātarāta.” This verse functions as a catalog of proper names within the genealogical/narrative listing in the Ādi Parva, preserving lineage-memory and emphasizing the Mahābhārata’s ethical concern for continuity of family lines and the recording of tradition (itihāsa) through named ancestors/figures.

Word by Word

पारावतःpigeon, dove

पारिजातःthe pārijāta tree (coral tree)

पाण्डरःpale, whitish

हरिणःdeer, antelope

कृशःthin, lean

विहडःVihada (proper name/epithet; uncertain)

शरभःśarabha (mythic beast)

मेदःfat; marrow (as a name/epithet here)

प्रमोदःjoy; delight (as a name/epithet here)

संहतापनःone whose heat/ardor is restrained/collected (epithet/name)

एरकःEraka (name); also a kind of grass/reed

कुण्डलःearring; ring (as a name/epithet here)

वेणीbraid; plait (as a name/epithet here)

वेणीस्कन्धःone with a braid-like shoulder/crest (epithet/name; compound sense uncertain)

कुमारकःboy; young lad (as a name/epithet here)

बाहुकःBāhuka (name); also 'armed/strong-armed'

शंगवेराश्वःhorse of Śaṅgaver(a) (epithet/name)

धूर्तकःrogue; crafty one (as a name/epithet here)

प्रातरातकौthe two Prātarātakas (two persons/epithets; dual)

Speaker

शौनक उवाच

Characters & Entities

श

शौनक (Śaunaka)

प

पारावत (Pārāvata)

प

पारिजात (Pārijāta)

प

पाण्डर (Pāṇḍara)

ह

हरिण (Hariṇa)

क

कृश (Kṛśa)

व

विहड़ (Vihaḍa)

श

शरभ (Śarabha)

म

मेद (Meda)

प

प्रमोद (Pramoda)

स

संहतापन (Saṃhatāpana)

ए

एरक (Eraka)

क

कुण्डल (Kuṇḍala)

व

वेणी (Veṇī)

व

वेणीस्कन्ध (Veṇīskandha)

क

कुमारक (Kumāraka)

ब

बाहुक (Bāhuka)

श

शंगवेराश्व (Śaṅgaverāśva)

ध

धूर्तक (Dhūrtaka)

प

प्रातरात (Prātarāta) — two persons

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse’s primary function is preservational rather than doctrinal: it records a sequence of named figures, reflecting the Mahābhārata’s ethical valuation of lineage, remembrance, and faithful transmission of ancestral tradition (itihāsa) through precise naming.

What is happening in the narrative?

Śaunaka continues a catalog-style enumeration of individuals (a genealogical or group listing) within Ādi Parva, chapter 57, presenting a series of proper names, including a dual form indicating two persons named Prātarāta.