Shloka 2

Aśmagīta: Janaka’s Inquiry on Loss, Kāla, and the Limits of Control (अश्मगीता)

Devanagari script

व्यास उवाच अत्राप्युदाहरन्तीममितिहासं पुरातनम्‌ । अश्मगीतं नरव्याप्र तन्निबोध युधिष्ठिर

Transliteration

vyāsa uvāca | atrāpy udāharantīmam itihāsaṁ purātanam | aśmagītaṁ nara-vyāghra tan nibodha yudhiṣṭhira ||

Translation

ਵਿਆਸ ਨੇ ਆਖਿਆ—ਹੇ ਨਰ-ਵਿਆਘ੍ਰ ਯੁਧਿਸ਼ਠਿਰ, ਇਸ ਵਿਸ਼ੇ ਵਿੱਚ ਵੀ ਵਿਦਵਾਨ ਇੱਕ ਪ੍ਰਾਚੀਨ ਇਤਿਹਾਸ ਦੀ ਮਿਸਾਲ ਦਿੰਦੇ ਹਨ—‘ਅਸ਼ਮਾ-ਗੀਤ’। ਉਹ ਸੁਣ।

Word by Word

• {'vyāsa uvāca': 'Vyāsa said', 'atra api': 'here also

• in this context too', 'udāharanti': 'they cite

• they adduce as an example', 'imam': 'this', 'itihāsam': 'ancient narrative

• traditional account (used as moral precedent)', 'purātanam': 'ancient

• of old', 'aśmagītam': 'the ‘Song of Aśmā’ (a traditional didactic song/account)', 'nara-vyāghra': 'tiger among men

• best of men (honorific address)', 'tat': 'that', 'nibodha': 'understand

• learn', 'yudhiṣṭhira': 'Yudhiṣṭhira'}

Speaker

व्यास उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vyāsa
• Yudhiṣṭhira
• Aśmā (associated with the Aśmagīta)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Moral instruction is often conveyed through ancient precedents (itihāsa). Vyāsa signals that the ethical point under discussion will be clarified by a traditional exemplum, urging attentive listening and understanding.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vyāsa addresses Yudhiṣṭhira and introduces an old illustrative story—called the Aśmagīta—presented as a well-known example cited by the learned, preparing the listener for a didactic account.