Shloka 14

Nakula’s Declaration and the Uñchavṛtti Brāhmaṇa’s Superior Merit (Āśvamedhika Parva, Adhyāya 92)

Devanagari script

सत्र चेद॑ महद्‌ विप्रा मुनेर्द्धादिशवार्षिकम्‌ । न वर्षिष्यति देवश्न वर्षाण्येतानि द्वादश

Transliteration

satraṁ ced idaṁ mahad viprā muner dvādaśavārṣikam | na varṣiṣyati deveśa varṣāṇy etāni dvādaśa ||

Translation

ବୈଶମ୍ପାୟନ କହିଲେ—“ହେ ବ୍ରାହ୍ମଣମାନେ! ମୁନିଙ୍କ ଏହି ମହା ସତ୍ର ଦ୍ୱାଦଶ ବର୍ଷ ପର୍ଯ୍ୟନ୍ତ ଚାଲିବ; ଏହି ଦ୍ୱାଦଶ ବର୍ଷରେ ଦେବେଶ (ଇନ୍ଦ୍ର) ବର୍ଷା କରିବେ ନାହିଁ।”

Word by Word

• सत्रम्: sacrificial session (sattra)
• सत्रम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत्र
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• चेत्: if
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: चेत्

• महत्: great
• महत्: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत्
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• विप्राः: O brahmins
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Plural

• मुनेः: of the sage
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• द्वादश: twelve
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्वादश
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Plural

• वार्षिकम्: lasting (for) years / annual (here: year-long in count)
• वार्षिकम्: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वार्षिक
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• वर्षिष्यति: will rain
• Type: Verb
• Root: वृष्
• Form: Simple Future (Luṭ), 3rd, Singular

• देवः: the god (Indra)
• देवः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• वर्षाणि: rains / rainy seasons / years (context: rains)
• वर्षाणि: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्ष
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Plural

• एतानि: these
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: एतद्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Plural

• द्वादश: twelve
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्वादश
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Plural

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• brāhmaṇas (viprāḥ)
• a sage (muni)
• Indra (deveśa, implied)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the tension between human ritual power and divine control of natural order: prolonged sacrificial undertakings can provoke divine resistance, reminding readers that dharma involves balancing ritual ambition with the welfare of the world (rain, sustenance).

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana reports that a great twelve-year satra is underway (or proposed) by a sage, and that the lord of the gods—understood as Indra—will withhold rain for the entire twelve-year period, foreshadowing hardship and conflict around the sacrifice.