Shloka 14

Vyāsa’s Arrival at Janamejaya’s Sarpasatra; Commissioning of Vaiśaṃpāyana’s Recital (व्यासागमनम्)

Devanagari script

एतच्छुत्वा तु वचनं वासुकि: पन्नगोत्तम: । प्रादान्माममरप्रख्य तव पित्रे महात्मने

Transliteration

etac chrutvā tu vacanaṃ vāsukiḥ pannagottamaḥ | prādān mām amaraprakhya tava pitre mahātmane ||

Translation

ଆସ୍ତୀକ କହିଲେ—“ବ୍ରହ୍ମାଙ୍କ ସେଇ ବଚନ ଶୁଣି, ହେ ଅମରସଦୃଶ ତେଜସ୍ବୀ! ନାଗଶ୍ରେଷ୍ଠ ବାସୁକି ମୋତେ ତୁମ ମହାତ୍ମା ପିତାଙ୍କ ସେବାରେ ସମର୍ପିତ କରିଦେଲେ। ଏହି ସଙ୍କଟ ଆସିବାର ଅନେକ ପୂର୍ବରୁ ଏହି ଉଦ୍ଦେଶ୍ୟରେ ମୋ ବିବାହ ନିର୍ଦ୍ଧାରିତ ହୋଇଥିଲା; ପରେ ମହର୍ଷିମାନଙ୍କ କୃପାରେ ମୋ ଗର୍ଭରୁ ତୁମ ଜନ୍ମ ହେଲା। ଏବେ ଜନମେଜୟଙ୍କ ସର୍ପଯଜ୍ଞର ପୂର୍ବନିର୍ଦ୍ଦିଷ୍ଟ କାଳ ଉପସ୍ଥିତ; ସେଠାରେ ନାଗମାନେ ନିରନ୍ତର ଅଗ୍ନିରେ ଦହୁଛନ୍ତି। ତେଣୁ ଭୟରୁ ତୁମେ ସେମାନଙ୍କୁ ଉଦ୍ଧାର କର; ମୋ ଭାଇକୁ ମଧ୍ୟ ସେଇ ଭୟଙ୍କର ଜ୍ୱାଳାରୁ ବଞ୍ଚାଅ। ଯେ ଉଦ୍ଦେଶ୍ୟରେ ମୋତେ ତୁମ ବୁଦ୍ଧିମାନ ପିତାଙ୍କ ସେବାରେ ଦିଆଯାଇଥିଲା, ସେ ଉଦ୍ଦେଶ୍ୟ ବ୍ୟର୍ଥ ହେବା ଉଚିତ୍ ନୁହେଁ। କହ, ପୁତ୍ର—ଏହି ବିପଦରୁ ନାଗମାନଙ୍କୁ ରକ୍ଷା କରିବା ପାଇଁ ତୁମେ କ’ଣ ଯଥୋଚିତ ଭାବୁଛ?”

Word by Word

• एतत्: this (speech/thing)
• एतत्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: एतद्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• श्रुत्वा: having heard
• श्रुत्वा: Adhikarana
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा (absolutive/gerund), Parasmaipada (usage-neutral), Non-finite

• तु: but/indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु

• वचनम्: speech/words
• वचनम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: वचन
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• वासुकिः: Vasuki
• वासुकिः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: वासुकि
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• पन्नग-उत्तमः: best of serpents
• पन्नग-उत्तमः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पन्नग + उत्तम
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• प्रादात्: gave
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + दा (धातु)
• Form: Aorist (लुङ्), 3, Singular, Parasmaipada

• माम्: me
• माम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: Accusative, Singular

• अमर-प्रख्य: O one like an immortal (godlike)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अमर + प्रख्य
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• तव: of you/your
• तव: Sampradana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: युष्मद्
• Form: Genitive, Singular

• पित्रे: to (your) father
• पित्रे: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ
• Form: Masculine, Dative, Singular

• महात्मने: to the great-souled one
• महात्मने: Sampradana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महात्मन्
• Form: Masculine, Dative, Singular

Speaker

आस्तीक उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Āstīka
• Vāsuki
• Janamejaya
• Āstīka’s father (the sage Jaratkāru)
• Āstīka’s mother (Jaratkāru, sister of Vāsuki)
• Nāgas/serpents
• Serpent-sacrifice (Sarpayajña)
• Sacrificial fire

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Purposeful action aligned with dharma: one’s birth, relationships, and abilities can carry an ethical responsibility—here, the duty to protect beings from unjust destruction and to ensure that a divinely intended purpose is fulfilled rather than wasted.

What is happening in the narrative?

Āstīka’s mother explains that Vāsuki entrusted her to the sage Jaratkāru so that a son (Āstīka) would be born to avert the impending catastrophe of Janamejaya’s serpent-sacrifice. Now that the sacrifice is underway and serpents are burning, she urges Āstīka to act immediately and save the nāgas, including her brother.