Mahabharata 1.53.3 — Adi Parva, Adhyaya 53, Shloka 3

Āstīka Stops the Sarpa-satra; Royal Closure and Protective Phalaśruti (आस्तीकः सर्पसत्रनिवर्तनम्)

Devanagari script

सर्व विस्तरशस्तात भवाझुछंसितुमहति । सर्पसत्रविधानज्ञविज्ञेया: के च सूतज

Transliteration

sarvaṃ vistaraśas tāta bhavān uccheṃsitum arhati | sarpasatravidhānajñā vijñeyāḥ ke ca sūtaja ||

Translation

सर्वं विस्तरशस्तात भवान् शंसितुमर्हति। सर्पसत्रविधानज्ञा विज्ञेयाः के च सूतज॥

Word by Word

• सर्वम्: all (this)
• सर्वम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• विस्तरशः: in detail
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विस्तरशस्

• तात: dear one / sir (address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तात
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• भव: be / please (do)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू
• Form: Imperative, Second, Singular, Parasmaipada

• आचक्षस्व: tell, relate
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-चक्ष्
• Form: Imperative, Second, Singular, Atmanepada

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: इदम्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• महति: in the great (matter) / at length
• महति: Adhikarana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत्
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• सर्पसत्रविधानज्ञाः: knowers of the procedure of the snake-sacrifice
• सर्पसत्रविधानज्ञाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्पसत्र-विधान-ज्ञ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• विज्ञेयाः: to be identified/known
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि-ज्ञा (विज्ञेय)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural, Gerundive (future passive participle)

• के: which (ones)? who?
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: किम्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• सूतज: O son of a charioteer (Suta)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूत-ज
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• तात: O dear one / sir
• Type: Noun
• Root: तात
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

Speaker

शौनक उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Śaunaka
• Sūta-putra (Sauti/Ugraśravas)
• Sarpasatra (serpent-sacrifice)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights disciplined inquiry and faithful transmission: sacred history and ritual knowledge should be narrated fully and with attention to authoritative sources—especially identifying competent experts present in the ritual context.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the forest-assembly of sages, Śaunaka prompts Sauti to continue the Mahābhārata narration in greater detail and asks him to name the foremost sages who knew the correct procedure of the serpent-sacrifice being discussed.