Shloka 18

Marutta Seeks a Priest: Bṛhaspati’s Refusal and Nārada’s Guidance to Saṃvarta

Chapter 6

Devanagari script

नारद उवाच राजन्नज्धिरस: पुत्र: संवर्तो नाम धार्मिक: । चड्क्रमीति दिश: सर्वा दिग्वासा मोहयन्‌ प्रजा:

Transliteration

nārada uvāca rājann aṅgirasaḥ putraḥ saṃvarto nāma dhārmikaḥ | digvāsā mohayann prajāḥ sarvā diśaḥ paricakrāmeti ||

Translation

ନାରଦ କହିଲେ—ହେ ରାଜନ୍! ଅଙ୍ଗିରାଙ୍କ ଦ୍ୱିତୀୟ ପୁତ୍ର ‘ସଂବର୍ତ୍ତ’ ନାମକ ଧର୍ମନିଷ୍ଠ। ସେ ଦିଗମ୍ବର ହୋଇ, ଲୋକଦୃଷ୍ଟିରୁ ଲୁଚି ରହି, ପ୍ରଜାଙ୍କୁ ମୋହିତ କରି ସମସ୍ତ ଦିଗରେ ନିରନ୍ତର ଭ୍ରମଣ କରେ। ଯଦି ବୃହସ୍ପତି ତୁମକୁ ଯଜମାନ ଭାବେ ଗ୍ରହଣ କରିବାକୁ ଚାହାନ୍ତି ନାହିଁ, ତେବେ ସଂବର୍ତ୍ତଙ୍କ ପାଖକୁ ଯାଅ; ସେ ମହାତେଜସ୍ବୀ, ପ୍ରସନ୍ନ ହେଲେ ଆନନ୍ଦରେ ତୁମ ଯଜ୍ଞ କରାଇଦେବେ।

Word by Word

• नारदः: Narada
• नारदः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: नारद
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• उवाच: said/spoke
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: Perfect (Paroksha-bhuta), Third, Singular

• राजन्: O king
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन्
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• अङ्गिरसः: of Angiras
• अङ्गिरसः: Sambandha
• Type: Noun
• Root: अङ्गिरस्
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• पुत्रः: son
• पुत्रः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुत्र
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• संवर्तः: Samvarta
• संवर्तः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: संवर्त
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• नाम: by name
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नाम

• धार्मिकः: righteous
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धार्मिक
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• चक्रमीति: "(he) wanders"—thus (it is said)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: चक्रम् + इति

• दिशः: directions/quarters
• दिशः: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिश्
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Plural

• सर्वाः: all
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Plural

• दिग्वासाः: one whose clothing is the quarters (i.e., naked)
• दिग्वासाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिग्वासस्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• मोहयन्: bewildering/deluding
• Type: Verb
• Root: मुह्
• Form: Shatru (present active participle), Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• प्रजाः: the people/subjects
• प्रजाः: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रजा
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Plural

Speaker

नारद उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Nārada
• Aṅgiras
• Saṃvarta
• Bṛhaspati
• the King (rājan)
• directions (diśaḥ)
• subjects/people (prajāḥ)
• yajña (sacrifice)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Ritual success and moral order depend not merely on status but on the right alignment of patron and priest: when an established authority (Bṛhaspati) withholds consent, one should seek a qualified, dharmic alternative (Saṃvarta) rather than forcing an improper relationship.

What is happening in the narrative?

Nārada informs the king about Saṃvarta, Aṅgiras’s righteous son who wanders as a sky-clad ascetic, and advises the king to approach him to officiate the sacrifice if Bṛhaspati declines to accept the king as his yajamāna.