Shloka 3
अध्याय ५७ — राजोपरिचरवसोः धर्मोपदेशः, सत्यवत्याः उत्पत्तिः, व्यासजन्म च
Adhyāya 57: Indra’s Counsel to King Vasu; Origin of Satyavatī; Birth of Vyāsa
यथास्मृति तु नामानि पन्नगानां निबोध मे । उच्यमानानि मुख्यानां हुतानां जातवेदसि,परंतु सर्पयज्ञकी अग्निमें जिन प्रधान-प्रधान नागोंकी आहुति दी गयी थी, उन सबके नाम अपनी स्मृतिके अनुसार बता रहा हूँ, सुनो
yathāsmṛti tu nāmāni pannagānāṁ nibodha me | ucyamānāni mukhyānāṁ hutānāṁ jātavedasi ||
Śaunaka said: “Now, according to what I remember, learn from me the names of the serpents. I shall recite the names of those foremost ones who were offered into Jātavedas—the sacrificial fire—during the serpent-sacrifice.”
शौनक उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the disciplined transmission of tradition: sacred history is preserved through remembered recitation, and even grim events like sacrificial killings are recorded with precision—inviting reflection on ritual power, responsibility, and the consequences of actions.
Śaunaka transitions into a list: he tells the listener to attend as he recites, from memory, the names of the principal serpents who were offered into the sacrificial fire (Agni/Jātavedas) during the serpent-sacrifice.