Mahabharata 1.94.13 — Adi Parva, Adhyaya 94, Shloka 13

Śāṃtanu’s Ideal Rule; Devavrata’s Return; The Satyavatī Marriage Condition and Bhīṣma’s Vow (आदि पर्व, अध्याय ९४)

Devanagari script

ययातिरुवाच युष्मानेते वहिष्यन्ति रथा: पञ्च हिरण्मया: । उच्चै: सन्त: प्रकाशन्ते ज्वलन्तो5ग्निशिखा इव

Transliteration

yayātir uvāca yuṣmān ete vahiṣyanti rathāḥ pañca hiraṇmayāḥ | uccaiḥ santaḥ prakāśante jvalanto ’gniśikhā iva ||

Translation

Yayāti berkata: “Lima kereta emas ini akan membawa kamu. Tinggi di langit, ia bersinar gemilang, menyala seperti lidah-lidah api.”

Word by Word

• ययातिः: Yayati
• ययातिः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: ययाति
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• उवाच: said
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: Perfect (Paroksha-bhuta), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• युष्मान्: you (all)
• युष्मान्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: युष्मद्
• Form: —, Accusative, Plural

• एते: these
• एते: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: एतद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• वहिष्यन्ति: will carry
• Type: Verb
• Root: वह्
• Form: Simple Future (Lृट्), 3rd, Plural, Parasmaipada

• रथाः: chariots
• रथाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: रथ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• पञ्च: five
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पञ्च

• हिरण्मयाः: golden
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हिरण्मय
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• उच्चैः: aloft, on high
• उच्चैः: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: उच्चैः

• सन्तः: being, existing (there)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सत्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural, शतृ (present active participle)

• प्रकाशन्ते: shine, appear radiant
• Type: Verb
• Root: काश्
• Form: Present (लट्), 3rd, Plural, Ātmanepada

• ज्वलन्तः: blazing
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ज्वल्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural, शतृ (present active participle)

• अग्नि-शिखाः: flames of fire
• अग्नि-शिखाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अग्निशिखा
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Plural

• इव: like, as
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव

Speaker

अष्टक उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Yayāti
• five golden chariots
• sky (implied by uccaiḥ)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Heavenly attainment is portrayed as operating within a moral-cosmic order: when the time and merit are ripe, divine means appear to ‘carry’ one onward. The radiant chariots symbolize sanctioned passage rather than arbitrary reward.

What is happening in the narrative?

Yayāti points out five golden chariots shining high like flames and declares that they will convey the addressed persons upward—toward the heavenly realm—marking a moment of transition and divine intervention.