Shloka 43

Āścarya-kathana: Brāhmaṇa–Nāga Dialogue on Sūrya (Vivasvat) and the ‘Second Sun’ Phenomenon

Devanagari script

कुक्षिनाम्ने स प्रददौ दिशां पालाय धर्मिणे | ततोअप्यन्तर्दधे भूयो नारायणमुखोद्भव:

Transliteration

kukṣināmne sa pradadau diśāṃ pālāya dharmiṇe | tato 'py antardadhe bhūyo nārāyaṇamukhodbhavaḥ ||

Translation

ବୈଶମ୍ପାୟନ କହିଲେ—ସେ ଏହି ଉପଦେଶକୁ ‘କୁକ୍ଷି’ ନାମକ ଦିଗ୍‌ପାଳ, ଧର୍ମନିଷ୍ଠ ରକ୍ଷକଙ୍କୁ ଦେଲେ। ତଥାପି ନାରାୟଣଙ୍କ ମୁଖୋଦ୍ଭବ ଏହି ସାତ୍ୱତ-ଧର୍ମ ପୁଣି ଅନ୍ତର୍ଧାନ ହୋଇଗଲା।

Word by Word

• कुक्षिनाम्ने: to (the one) named Kukṣi
• कुक्षिनाम्ने: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुक्षि-नामन्
• Form: Masculine, Dative, Singular

• सः: he
• सः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• प्रददौ: gave, bestowed
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-दा
• Form: Perfect (Liṭ), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• दिशाम्: the directions (quarters)
• दिशाम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिश्
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Plural

• पालाय: to the guardian/protector
• पालाय: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाल
• Form: Masculine, Dative, Singular

• धर्मिणे: to the righteous one
• धर्मिणे: Sampradana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धर्मिन्
• Form: Masculine, Dative, Singular

• ततः: then, thereafter
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः

• अपि: also, even
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि

• अन्तर्दधे: disappeared, became hidden
• Type: Verb
• Root: अन्तर्-धा
• Form: Perfect (Liṭ), 3rd, Singular, Ātmanepada

• भूयः: again, once more
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: भूयस्

• नारायणमुखोद्भवः: born from Nārāyaṇa’s mouth
• नारायणमुखोद्भवः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नारायण-मुख-उद्भव
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Kukṣi (dikpāla / guardian of the directions)
• Nārāyaṇa
• Sātvata-dharma

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Sacred dharma-teachings endure only through proper transmission to qualified, righteous custodians; when that chain weakens, even a revelation originating from Nārāyaṇa can become ‘hidden’ (antardadhe), i.e., lost from common practice and memory.

What is happening in the narrative?

The speaker reports a handover of the Sātvata dharma to a dikpāla named Kukṣi, and then notes that the teaching again disappeared—signaling a recurring cycle of revelation, transmission, and decline within the world.