Shloka 23

शुनःशेफविक्रयः

The Sale of Śunaḥśepa for the Sacrifice

Devanagari script

अम्बरीषस्तु राजर्षी रथमारोप्य सत्वर:।शुनश्शेफं महातेजा जगामाशु महायशा:।।।।

Transliteration

ambarīṣas tu rājarṣī ratham āropya satvaraḥ |

śunaśśephaṃ mahātejā jagāmāśu mahāyaśāḥ ||

Translation

Прославленный и сияющий царственный риши Амбариша (Ambarīṣa), посадив Шунашшепу на колесницу, поспешно отправился в путь, великий славой и силой.

Word by Word

• gavām: of cows
• gavām: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: go (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Ṣaṣṭhī, Bahuvacana; genitive ‘of cows’

• śatasahasreṇa: with a hundred thousand (as price)
• śatasahasreṇa: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śata + sahasra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napumsaka, Tṛtīyā (3rd/तृतीया), Ekavacana; dvigu ‘a hundred-thousand’ used as instrument ‘with/by’

• śunaśśepham: Śunaśśepha
• śunaśśepham: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śunaśśepha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Dvitīyā, Ekavacana; object of gṛhītvā

• nareśvaraḥ: the king
• nareśvaraḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nara + īśvara (प्रातिपदik)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana; tatpuruṣa ‘lord of men’

• gṛhītvā: having taken/received
• gṛhītvā: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √grah (धातु)
• Form: Absolutive/Gerund (क्त्वा), pūrva-kāla-kriyā (prior action)

• paramaprītaḥ: very pleased
• paramaprītaḥ: Kartṛ-samānādhikaraṇa (कर्तृसमानाधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: parama + prīta (प्रातिपदik)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana; karmadhāraya ‘extremely pleased’ qualifying nareśvaraḥ

• jagāma: went
• jagāma: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √gam (धातु)
• Form: Laṅ (imperfect), Prathama-puruṣa, Ekavacana; parasmaipada

• raghunandana: O delight of the Raghus
• raghunandana: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: raghu + nandana (प्रातिपदik)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Sambodhana, Ekavacana; address to Rāma

Context

With this the most powerful sage Viswamitra reached Pushkara where living on fruits and roots, he carried out intense, unsurpassable, austerities.

Characters & Entities

• Ambarīṣa
• Śunaḥśepa
• chariot (ratha)

FAQs

What is the core ethical principle (Dharma) in this verse?

The verse marks narrative consequence: actions motivated by desire for ritual success move swiftly forward, setting the stage for later moral resolution—where dharma will be tested against expediency.

What is the narrative situation?

Ambarīṣa hastens away with Śunaḥśepa on his chariot, concluding this movement of the episode.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Energy and urgency in kingship; simultaneously, it underscores how quickly power can carry decisions into irreversible territory.