Shloka 17

Devanagari script

भृशं भीतास्तत: शान्तिं चक्रुः स्वस्त्ययनानि च । ऋषय: सर्वभूतानामात्मनश्न हितैषिण:,सम्पूर्ण भूतोंका और अपना भी हित चाहनेवाले ऋषि अत्यन्त भयभीत हो शान्ति एवं स्वस्तिवाचन आदि कर्म करने लगे

Transliteration

bhṛśaṁ bhītās tataḥ śāntiṁ cakruḥ svastyayanāni ca | ṛṣayaḥ sarvabhūtānām ātmanaś ca hitaiṣiṇaḥ ||

Translation

Tomados de grande temor, os sábios então realizaram ritos de pacificação e recitaram bênçãos auspiciosas. Buscando o bem de todos os seres—e também o seu próprio—empreenderam esses atos apaziguadores para afastar o mal e restaurar a ordem.

Word by Word

भृशम्exceedingly, greatly

भीताःfrightened

ततःthen, thereafter

शान्तिम्pacification rite; peace (rite)

चक्रुःthey performed/did

स्वस्त्ययनानिbenedictions; auspicious rites/recitations

चand

ऋषयःthe sages

सर्वभूतानाम्of all beings

आत्मनःof themselves; of the self

चand

हितैषिणःwell-wishers; desiring the welfare (of)

Speaker

वायुदेव उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vāyudeva (speaker)

Ṛ

Ṛṣis (sages)

Sarvabhūta (all beings)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

When danger or ominous fear arises, the righteous respond not with panic or harm but with protective, welfare-oriented action—seeking peace (śānti) and auspiciousness (svasti) for all beings. The verse highlights the ethical stance of the sages as universal well-wishers (hitaiṣiṇaḥ).

What is happening in the narrative?

Vāyudeva describes that the sages, overwhelmed by fear at the situation, begin performing pacificatory rites and reciting auspicious benedictions, aiming to avert calamity and secure the well-being of all creatures as well as themselves.