Shloka 4
अध्याय ५७ — राजोपरिचरवसोः धर्मोपदेशः, सत्यवत्याः उत्पत्तिः, व्यासजन्म च
Adhyāya 57: Indra’s Counsel to King Vasu; Origin of Satyavatī; Birth of Vyāsa
वासुके: कुलजातांस्तु प्राधान्येन निबोध मे । नीलरक्तान् सितान् घोरान् महाकायान् विषोल्बणान्,पहले वासुकिके कुलमें उत्पन्न हुए मुख्य-मुख्य सर्पोके नाम सुनो--वे सब-के-सब नीले, लाल, सफेद और भयानक थे। उनके शरीर विशाल और विष अत्यन्त भयंकर थे
śaunaka uvāca |
vāsukeḥ kulajātāṁs tu prādhānyena nibodha me |
nīlaraktān sitān ghorān mahākāyān viṣolbaṇān ||
Śaunaka disse: “Agora ouvi de mim, em sua ordem principal, as serpentes mais eminentes nascidas na linhagem de Vāsuki—umas de azul-escuro, outras vermelhas, outras brancas, e outras de aspecto terrível; vastas de corpo e terríveis na potência do seu veneno.”
शौनक उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse primarily serves a cataloguing purpose: it frames a genealogical listing by emphasizing ‘prādhānya’ (prominence) and attentive listening. Ethically, it models careful transmission of tradition—naming and describing beings accurately as part of preserving sacred narrative memory.
Śaunaka, in the outer frame of the Mahābhārata narration, announces that he will recount the chief serpents born in Vāsuki’s lineage, describing their varied colors, fearsome appearance, immense size, and intense venom as a prelude to listing their names.