Shloka 46

Āstīka-stuti at Janamejaya’s Sacrifice (आस्तीकस्तुतिः / यज्ञप्रशंसा)

Devanagari script

उवाच च महीपालो दुःखशोकसमन्वित: । दुर्धरं वाष्पमुत्सृज्य स्पृष्टवा चापो यथाविधि

Transliteration

uvāca ca mahīpālo duḥkhaśokasamanvitaḥ | durdharaṃ vāṣpam utsṛjya spṛṣṭvā cāpo yathāvidhi rājānaṃś ca mantribhiḥ saha tathābravīt ||

Translation

അപ്പോൾ ദുഃഖശോകങ്ങളിൽ മുങ്ങിയ മഹീപാലൻ അടക്കാനാവാത്ത കണ്ണീർ ഒഴുക്കി, വിധിപ്രകാരം ജലം സ്പർശിച്ച് സംസാരിക്കാൻ തുടങ്ങി.

Word by Word

• उवाच: said/spoke
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: Perfect (लिट्), 3, Singular, Parasmaipada

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• महीपालः: the king (protector of the earth)
• महीपालः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: महीपाल
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• दुःख: sorrow/pain
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुःख
• Form: Neuter, Stem (in compound), —

• शोक: grief
• Type: Noun
• Root: शोक
• Form: Masculine, Stem (in compound), —

• समन्वितः: endowed with/filled with
• Type: Adjective
• Root: समन्वित
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• दुर्धरम्: hard to restrain
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुर्धर
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• वाष्पम्: tears
• वाष्पम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाष्प
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• उत्सृज्य: having let out/released
• Type: Verb
• Root: उत्-√सृज्
• Form: Absolutive (क्त्वा/ल्यप्), Active

• स्पृष्ट्वा: having touched
• Type: Verb
• Root: √स्पृश्
• Form: Absolutive (क्त्वा), Active

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• आपः: waters (water)
• आपः: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: अप्
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Plural

• यथा: as/according to
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा

• विधि: rule/ritual procedure
• Type: Noun
• Root: विधि
• Form: Masculine, Stem (in compound), —

• राजानम्: the king
• राजानम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

जनमेजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• mahīpāla (the king)
• ministers (mantriṇaḥ)
• ritual water (āpaḥ)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even in intense grief, a ruler is expected to act within dharma: he steadies his mind, performs the proper rite (touching water as prescribed), and then speaks to his ministers—showing that emotion should be disciplined by ethical and ritual order before public decision.

What is happening in the narrative?

A king, overcome with sorrow, weeps uncontrollably. After composing himself enough to perform a formal purification/ritual gesture by touching water, he turns to his ministers and begins to state his decision or intention.