Shloka 14

आस्तीक-वरप्रदानम् (Āstīka’s Boon and the Interruption of the Sarpa-satra)

Devanagari script

निमित्तं महदुत्पन्नं यज्ञविघ्नकरं तदा । यज्ञस्यायतने तस्मिन्‌ क्रियमाणे वचो<ब्रवीत्‌,उस यज्ञमें विघ्न डालनेवाला बहुत बड़ा कारण प्रकट हो गया। जब वह यज्ञमण्डप बनाया जा रहा था, उस समय वास्तुशास्त्रके पारंगत विद्वान बुद्धिमान एवं अनुभवी सूत्रधार शिल्पवेत्ता सूतने वहाँ आकर कहा--

Transliteration

nimittaṁ mahad utpannaṁ yajña-vighna-karaṁ tadā | yajñasyāyatane tasmin kriyamāṇe vaco 'bravīt ||

Translation

ਤਦ ਯਜ੍ਞ ਵਿੱਚ ਵਿਘਨ ਪਾਉਣ ਵਾਲਾ ਇੱਕ ਮਹਾਨ ਨਿਮਿੱਤ ਉਤਪੰਨ ਹੋਇਆ। ਜਦੋਂ ਉਹ ਯਜ੍ਞ-ਆਯਤਨ ਬਣ ਰਿਹਾ ਸੀ, ਓਥੇ ਇੱਕ ਬਚਨ ਉਚਾਰਿਆ ਗਿਆ।

Word by Word

• {'nimittam': 'a sign, omen, portent

• a causal indication', 'mahat': 'great, large, significant', 'utpannam': 'arisen, occurred, come into being', 'yajña': 'sacrifice

• ritual offering (also a sacred duty)', 'vighna-kara': 'causing obstruction

• creating impediments', 'tadā': 'then, at that time', 'yajñasya': 'of the sacrifice', 'āyatana': 'abode, site, precinct

• place/setting', 'tasmin': 'in that (place/time)', 'kriyamāṇe': 'while being done/made

• in the course of being performed/constructed', 'vacaḥ': 'speech, words, statement', 'abravīt': 'said, spoke'}

Speaker

जनमेजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Janamejaya
• yajña (sacrifice)
• yajñāyatana (sacrificial site/enclosure)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights that even sacred acts like a yajña can face impediments, and that attentive discernment of signs (nimitta) is part of responsible dharmic action—one must address obstacles rather than proceed blindly.

What is happening in the narrative?

Janamejaya reports that a major ominous cause of disruption appeared during the preparation of the sacrificial precinct, and that someone present spoke up—setting up the next event explaining the nature of the obstruction.