Shloka 25

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

Devanagari script

ब्रह्मदण्डं महाघोरं कालाग्निसमतेजसम्‌ । नाशयिष्यामि मात्र त्वं भयं कार्षी: कथंचन,कालाग्निके समान दाहक और अत्यन्त भयंकर शापका यहाँ मैं अवश्य नाश कर डालूँगा। अत: आप उससे किसी तरह भय न करें

Transliteration

brāhmadaṇḍaṃ mahāghoraṃ kālāgnisamatejasam | nāśayiṣyāmi mātra tvaṃ bhayaṃ kārṣīḥ kathaṃcana ||

Translation

ອາສຕີກ ກ່າວວ່າ: «ຄຳສາບລົງໂທດຂອງພຣາຫມັນນັ້ນ ໜ້າຢ້ານຢິ່ງ ແລະສ່ອງໄຟດັ່ງໄຟແຫ່ງກາລະເວລາ. ຂ້າຈະທຳໃຫ້ມັນສະຫງົບລົງແນ່ນອນ. ດັ່ງນັ້ນ ຢ່າຢ້ານມັນເລີຍ»

Word by Word

• ब्रह्मदण्डम्: the Brahma-rod (i.e., Brahma’s curse/punitive power)
• ब्रह्मदण्डम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मदण्ड
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• महाघोरम्: very terrible
• महाघोरम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महाघोर
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• कालाग्नि-सम-तेजसम्: having brilliance equal to the fire of Time (cosmic fire)
• कालाग्नि-सम-तेजसम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कालाग्निसमतेजस्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• नाशयिष्यामि: I will destroy
• नाशयिष्यामि: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: नाशय् (णिच्) / नश्
• Form: Simple Future (Luṭ), First, Singular, Parasmaipada

• मा: do not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मा
• Form: prohibitive particle (with imperative/benedictive)

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र
• Form: adverb of place

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: युष्मद्
• Form: —, Nominative, Singular

• भयम्: fear
• भयम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: भय
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• कार्षीः: you should do/make (i.e., entertain)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ
• Form: Perfect (Liṭ) used with prohibitive मा (prohibitive perfect), Second, Singular, Parasmaipada

• कथंचन: in any way; at all
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथंचन
• Form: adverb

Speaker

आस्तीक उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Āstīka
• brāhmadaṇḍa (Brahminical curse/punitive power)
• kālāgni (the fire of Time)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Spiritual authority and righteous resolve can counter even terrifying destructive forces; the verse emphasizes reassurance, protection, and the ethical duty to remove fear when one has the capacity to avert harm.

What is happening in the narrative?

Āstīka promises to nullify a dreadful Brahminical curse—described as blazing like the fire of Time—and consoles the addressed ‘mother’ figure, urging her not to fear.