Shloka 13

Adhyāya 208: Aṅgirasī-kanyāḥ

Enumeration of Aṅgiras’ daughters and attribute-names

Devanagari script

व्याध उवाच अभिवादनये त्वां भगवन्‌ स्वागतं ते द्विजोत्तम । अहं व्याधो हि भद्रं ते किं करोमि प्रशाधि माम्‌,व्याध बोला--भगवन्‌! मैं आपके चरणोंमें प्रणाम करता हूँ। द्विजश्रेष्ठल आपका स्वागत है। मैं ही वह व्याध हूँ (जिसकी खोजमें आपने यहाँतक आनेका कष्ट किया है)। आपका भला हो, आज्ञा दीजिये, मैं क्या सेवा करूँ?

Transliteration

vyādha uvāca | abhivādanaye tvāṃ bhagavan svāgataṃ te dvijottama | ahaṃ vyādho hi bhadraṃ te kiṃ karomi praśādhi mām ||

Translation

狩人は言った。「尊き御方よ、私はあなたに礼拝いたします。ようこそお越しくださいました、二度生まれの中の最勝者よ。私こそ、あなたが探し求めてここまで来られた狩人でございます。どうか吉祥があなたにありますように——お命じください、いかなる奉仕をいたしましょうか。」

Word by Word

• {'vyādhaḥ': 'a hunter

• one by profession engaged in hunting (often socially low-ranked, yet capable of dharmic insight in this episode)', 'uvāca': 'said

• spoke', 'abhivādanaye': 'for salutation

• to offer respectful greeting/bowing', 'tvām': 'you (accusative singular)', 'bhagavan': 'venerable one

• revered sir (address of respect)', 'svāgatam': 'welcome

• well-received', 'te': 'to you

• your (dative/genitive enclitic)', 'dvijottama': 'best of the twice-born (honorific for a brāhmaṇa)', 'aham': 'I', 'hi': 'indeed

• certainly', 'bhadram te': 'may auspiciousness/good be yours

• a benedictive expression', 'kim karomi': 'what shall I do?', 'praśādhi': 'instruct/command (imperative of √śās with pra-)', 'mām': 'me'}

Speaker

व्याध उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vyādha (the hunter)
• Dvijottama (a brāhmaṇa addressee)
• Bhagavan (honorific address to the brāhmaṇa)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse foregrounds dharmic humility and readiness to serve: the hunter, despite his profession, greets the brāhmaṇa with full respect and places himself under instruction. It sets up the ethical point that true dharma is shown through conduct—reverence, self-restraint, and service—rather than merely through social status.

What is happening in the narrative?

A brāhmaṇa who has come in search of a renowned hunter meets him. The hunter identifies himself, welcomes the brāhmaṇa, offers salutations, and asks what he may do—inviting the brāhmaṇa to command him and indicating his willingness to render service.