Shloka 8

Āśvamedha-dīkṣā-nirdeśaḥ — Scheduling the Initiation and Assigning Protection for the Horse

Devanagari script

ततस्तत्‌ परमाश्चर्य विचित्र महदद्भुतम्‌

Transliteration

tatastat paramāścarya vicitra mahadadbhutam

Translation

അപ്പോൾ പരമാശ്ചര്യകരമായ—വിചിത്രവും വിപുലവും സത്യമായും അത്ഭുതകരവുമായ—ഒരു സംഭവം സംഭവിച്ചു; അതിന്റെ അസാധാരണത കൊണ്ട് എല്ലാവരുടെയും ശ്രദ്ധ ആകർഷിക്കപ്പെട്ടു.

Word by Word

• ततः: then; thereafter
• ततः: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (तद्-प्रातिपदिकात् अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (पञ्चमी-तसिल्)

• तत्: that (thing)
• तत्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• परमाश्चर्य: most wondrous; supremely astonishing
• परमाश्चर्य: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परम + आश्चर्य
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• विचित्र: variegated; strange; remarkable
• विचित्र: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विचित्र
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• महत्: great
• महत्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत्
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• अद्भुतम्: a marvel; wonderful (thing)
• अद्भुतम्: Karma
• Type: Noun/Adjective
• Root: अद्भुत
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the epic motif that extraordinary, awe-inspiring events can mark turning points in dharmic narratives, prompting attentiveness, humility, and careful interpretation rather than rash judgment.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana signals a transition: after the preceding events, something exceptionally marvelous and unusual occurs, preparing the listener for an important development in the Ashvamedhika Parva storyline.