Shloka 24

मरुत्तोपाख्यान-प्रस्तावः — Genealogy to Marutta and the Logistics of Royal Sacrifice

Devanagari script

नागायुतसमप्राण: साक्षाद्‌ विष्णुरिवापर: । स यक्ष्यमाणो धर्मात्मा शातकुम्भमयान्युत

Transliteration

nāgāyutasamaprāṇaḥ sākṣād viṣṇur ivāparaḥ | sa yakṣyamāṇo dharmātmā śātakumbhamayāny uta

Translation

He was possessed of the strength of ten thousand elephants, and seemed like Viṣṇu himself in another form. That righteous-souled one, being about to perform a sacrifice, also had (many) objects made of pure gold prepared for the rite—signs of royal duty expressed through generous, lawful giving.

Word by Word

नागायुतसमप्राणःhaving strength equal to ten-thousand elephants

साक्षात्directly, manifestly

विष्णुःVishnu

इवlike, as if

अपरःanother, second

सःhe

यक्ष्यमाणःabout to perform a sacrifice

धर्मात्माone whose nature is righteousness

शातकुम्भमयानिmade of gold (śātakumbha)

उतand, also

Speaker

व्यास उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vyāsa

Viṣṇu

elephants (as a measure of strength)

śātakumbha (pure gold)

yajña (sacrifice)

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?

Dharma is shown not only in personal virtue but in public responsibility: a righteous ruler expresses order and welfare through lawful ritual (yajña) and generous, properly directed wealth (gold prepared for sacrificial giving), aligning power with ethical purpose.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vyāsa describes a dharmic figure of extraordinary might—likened to Viṣṇu—who is preparing to undertake a sacrifice. The mention of śātakumbha-made items indicates the material preparations and intended gifts associated with the rite.