Shloka 35

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

Devanagari script

चिन्तयामास पापात्मा मनसा पन्नगाधम: । दष्टं यदि मया विप्र: पार्थिवं जीवयिष्यति

Transliteration

cintayāmāsa pāpātmā manasā pannagādhamaḥ | daṣṭaṃ yadi mayā vipraḥ pārthivaṃ jīvayiṣyati ||

Translation

Janamejaya berkata: Ular yang berdosa, paling hina itu berfikir dalam hatinya: “Jika Brahmana menghidupkan kembali raja yang telah aku gigit, orang ramai akan berkata bahawa bisa Takṣaka pun telah dineutralkan; maka Takṣaka akan menjadi bahan ejekan di dunia.” Dengan fikiran demikian, dia berusaha memenangi hati Brahmana dengan harta, meletakkan maruah dan keangkuhan mengatasi dharma.

Word by Word

• चिन्तयामास: thought, reflected
• Type: Verb
• Root: चिन्त्
• Form: Periphrastic Perfect (लिट्, परोक्षभूतार्थे), 3, Singular, Parasmaipada

• पापात्मा: the evil-souled one
• पापात्मा: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पापात्मन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• मनसा: with (his) mind
• मनसा: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनस्
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• पन्नगाधमः: the vilest of serpents
• पन्नगाधमः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पन्नगाधम
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• दष्टम्: bitten
• दष्टम्: Karma
• Type: Verb
• Root: दंश्
• Form: Past Passive Participle (क्त), Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• यदि: if
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि

• मया: by me
• मया: Karana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: —, Instrumental, Singular

• विप्रः: a brahmin
• विप्रः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• पार्थिवम्: the king
• पार्थिवम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार्थिव
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• जीवयिष्यति: will revive, will bring to life
• Type: Verb
• Root: जीव् (causative: जीवय्)
• Form: Simple Future (लृट्), 3, Singular, Parasmaipada

Speaker

जनमेजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Janamejaya
• Takṣaka
• vipra (brahmin)
• pārthiva (the king)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how ego and fear of public ridicule can drive unethical choices: the serpent values reputation over dharma and attempts to obstruct a life-saving act through wealth, illustrating the moral danger of pride and bribery.

What is happening in the narrative?

Janamejaya narrates that the serpent (identified in the prose context as Takṣaka) worries that if a brahmin revives the bitten king, his poison’s fame will be diminished; therefore he decides to influence the brahmin with money to prevent the king’s restoration.