Shloka 303

Āścarya-kathana: Brāhmaṇa–Nāga Dialogue on Sūrya (Vivasvat) and the ‘Second Sun’ Phenomenon

Devanagari script

आरण्यकेन सहितं नारायणमुखोद्भवम्‌ । तदनन्तर ब्रह्माने भगवान्‌ श्रीहरिको नमस्कार किया और उन्हीं नारायणदेवके मुखसे प्रकट आरण्यक, रहस्य तथा संग्रहसहित उस श्रेष्ठ धर्मका उपदेश ग्रहण किया

Transliteration

āraṇyakena sahitaṃ nārāyaṇamukhodbhavam | tadanantaraṃ brahmāṇe bhagavān śrīharir ko namaskāraṃ kṛtvā tasyaiva nārāyaṇadevasya mukhāt prakaṭam āraṇyaka-rahasya-saṃgraha-sahitaṃ taṃ śreṣṭhaṃ dharmopadeśaṃ jagrāha |

Translation

वैशंपायन म्हणाले—आरण्यकासहित, नारायणाच्या मुखातून उद्भवलेला तो उपदेश त्यानंतर प्राप्त झाला. मग भगवान श्रीहरिने ब्रह्माला नमस्कार करून, स्वयं नारायणदेवाच्या मुखातून प्रकट झालेला आरण्यक, रहस्य व संग्रहासहित तो श्रेष्ठ धर्मोपदेश स्वीकारला.

Word by Word

• आरण्यकेन: with the Āraṇyaka (text)
• आरण्यकेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: आरण्यक
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• सहितम्: accompanied/along with
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सहित
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• नारायण: of Nārāyaṇa
• Type: Noun
• Root: नारायण
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• मुख: from (the) mouth
• मुख: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुख
• Form: Neuter, Ablative, Singular

• उद्भवम्: arisen/originating
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उद्भव
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Nārāyaṇa
• Brahmā
• Śrī Hari (Hari)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse emphasizes the sanctity and authority of dharma-teaching as a revealed transmission: the ‘best dharma’ is received as a complete body of instruction (including Āraṇyaka material, esoteric rahasya, and a systematic compendium), and it is approached with reverence (namaskāra), underscoring humility before sacred knowledge.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana narrates a chain of transmission: after the revelation associated with Nārāyaṇa’s speech, Śrī Hari offers salutations to Brahmā and then receives/accepts the superior dharma-instruction that is explicitly said to have manifested from Lord Nārāyaṇa’s mouth, complete with its ancillary and secret sections.