Shloka 24
Janamejaya’s Request for Expansion; Vaiśampāyana’s Authorization and Phalāśruti of the Mahābhārata
Jaya
आस्तीक उवाच सुवर्ण रजतं गाश्न न त्वां राजन् वृणोम्यहम् । सत्र॑ ते विर्मत्वेतत् स्वस्ति मातृकुलस्य न:,आस्तीकने कहा--राजन्! मैं तुमसे सोना, चाँदी और गौएँ नहीं माँगूगा, मेरी यही इच्छा है कि तुम्हारा यह यज्ञ बंद हो जाय, जिससे मेरी माताके कुलका कल्याण हो
Āstīka uvāca: suvarṇa-rajataṁ gāś ca na tvāṁ rājan vṛṇomy aham | satraṁ te viramatu etat svasti mātṛ-kulasya naḥ ||
Āstīka disse: “Ó rei, não te escolho por ouro, prata ou vacas. Este é o meu desejo: que a tua sessão sacrificial seja interrompida, para que haja bem-estar na linhagem de nossa mãe.”
आस्तीक उवाच
Educational Q&A
Āstīka models dharmic restraint: he rejects material rewards and asks for the cessation of a destructive rite, prioritizing welfare (svasti) and protection of kin over wealth.
At Janamejaya’s snake-sacrifice (sarpasatra), Āstīka is offered a boon. Instead of requesting riches, he asks the king to stop the ongoing sacrificial session, seeking the safety and well-being of his mother’s lineage.