Shloka 25

Nārada’s Exempla of Tapas and Assurance to Dhṛtarāṣṭra (नारदोपदेशः—तपःसिद्ध्युदाहरणम्)

Devanagari script

वरं तु विष्टरं कौश्यं कृष्णाजिनकुशोत्तरम्‌ | प्रतिपेदे तदा व्यासस्तदर्थमुपकल्पितम्‌,इसके बाद व्यासजी स्वयं एक सुन्दर कुशासनपर, जो काले मृगचर्मसे आच्छादित तथा उन्हींके लिये बिछाया गया था, विराजमान हुए

Transliteration

varaṁ tu viṣṭaraṁ kauśyaṁ kṛṣṇājinakuśottaram | pratipede tadā vyāsas tadartham upakalpitam ||

Translation

അതിനുശേഷം വ്യാസൻ തനിക്കായി പ്രത്യേകം ഒരുക്കിയ ഉത്തമമായ ആസനം സ്വീകരിച്ചു—കൗശേയവസ്ത്രം കൊണ്ടുള്ളത്, മുകളിൽ കുശയും കൃഷ്ണാജിനവും വിരിച്ചതും—വിധിപൂർവ്വം അതിൽ ഇരുന്നുവന്നു।

Word by Word

वरम्a seat/covering (excellent)

तुbut/indeed

विष्टरम्seat, couch, spread (seat)

कौश्यम्made of kuśa-grass

कृष्णाजिनकुशोत्तरम्having kuśa on top of a black antelope-skin (i.e., covered with black deer-skin and topped with kuśa)

प्रतिपेदेaccepted/obtained/took (for himself)

तदाthen

व्यासःVyāsa

तदर्थम्for that purpose/for him

उपकल्पितम्prepared/arranged

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Vyāsa

viṣṭara (seat)

kauśya (woven cloth covering)

kṛṣṇājina (black antelope skin)

kuśa (sacred grass)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights dhārmic decorum: honoring a sage with a properly prepared ascetic seat (kuśa and kṛṣṇājina) reflects reverence, restraint, and adherence to ritual norms even amid grief and transition to forest life.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana narrates that Vyāsa is offered a specially prepared seat—cloth with kuśa grass and black antelope-skin on top—and he accepts it and sits, marking the formal, respectful setting for the ensuing events or counsel.