Shloka 98

Atithi-satkāra and the Consolation of Wise Counsel (अतिथिसत्कारः प्रज्ञानवचनस्य च पराश्वासनम्)

Devanagari script

गायन्त्यारण्यके विप्रा मद्धक्तास्ते हि दुर्लभा: | षट्पञ्चाशतमष्टौ च सप्तत्रिंशतमित्युत

Transliteration

gāyanty āraṇyake viprā madbhaktās te hi durlabhāḥ | ṣaṭpañcāśatam aṣṭau ca saptatriṁśatam ity uta ||

Translation

Di rimba, para resi Brahmana melagukan puji-pujian; mereka yang berbhakti kepadaku sesungguhnya amat jarang. (Mereka menyebut) yang kelima puluh enam, yang kelapan, dan juga yang ketiga puluh tujuh—demikianlah dikatakan.

Word by Word

गायन्तिthey sing

अरण्यकेin the forest (treatise/section called Āraṇyaka / in the wilderness)

विप्राःbrahmins

मत्of me / my

भक्ताःdevotees

तेthose

हिindeed / for

दुर्लभाःrare / hard to find

षट्six

पञ्चाशतम्fifty

अष्टौeight

चand

सप्तseven

त्रिंशतम्thirty

इतिthus / as follows

उतalso / and

Speaker

तामिन्द्र उवाच गच्छ नहुषस्त्वया वाच्योथ<पूर्वेण मामृषियुक्तेन यानेन त्वमधिरूढ

Characters & Entities

viprāḥ (brahmin sages)

āraṇyaka (forest setting)

madbhaktāḥ (devotees of the speaker, contextually Indra)

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 underscores that genuine devotion is rare and precious, and that the forest-dwelling sages preserve and express sacred truth through disciplined chanting and praise.

What is happening in the narrative?

In a forest-ascetic context, brahmin sages are described as chanting; the speaker highlights the scarcity of true devotees and refers to specific numbered items (likely enumerations within a larger list or teaching sequence) being cited or remembered.