Shloka 26

Vyāsa’s Arrival at Janamejaya’s Sarpasatra; Commissioning of Vaiśaṃpāyana’s Recital (व्यासागमनम्)

Devanagari script

सौतिरुवाच ततः स वासुकेरघोरमपनीय मनोज्वरम्‌ । आधाय चात्मनोड्रेषु जगाम त्वरितो भूशम्‌

Transliteration

Sautir uvāca: tataḥ sa vāsuker aghoram apanīya manojvaram | ādhāya cātmano 'dveṣu jagāma tvarito bhūśam ||

Translation

सौतिरुवाच—ततः स वासुकेरघोरमपनीय मनोज्वरम्। आधाय चात्मनोद्रेषु जगाम त्वरितो भृशम्॥

Word by Word

• सूतिः: Sauti (Ugraśravas), the narrator
• सूतिः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूति
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• उवाच: said
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: Perfect, 3rd, Singular

• ततः: then, thereafter
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः

• सः: he (Āstīka)
• सः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• वासुकेः: of Vāsuki
• Type: Noun
• Root: वासुकि
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• अघोरम्: terrible, dreadful
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अघोर
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• अपनीय: having removed
• Type: Verb
• Root: अप-नी
• Form: Absolutive (Gerund), Parasmaipada (usage)

• मनोज्वरम्: mental fever; anxiety
• मनोज्वरम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनोज्वर
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• आधाय: having placed/assumed
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-धा
• Form: Absolutive (Gerund), Parasmaipada (usage)

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

• आत्मनः: of himself
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्मन्
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• उरःसु: on (his) chest/breast
• उरःसु: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: उरस्
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Plural

• जगाम: went
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम्
• Form: Perfect, 3rd, Singular

• त्वरितः: hastened; quickly
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्वरित
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• भूशम्: greatly, exceedingly
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: भूशम्

Speaker

आस्तीक उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Ugraśravas (Sauti)
• Āstīka
• Vāsuki
• Janamejaya
• Sarpa-yajña (serpent sacrifice)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

True dharma is not mere ritual performance but the protection of living beings; Āstīka embodies compassion by taking on another’s distress and acting swiftly to prevent unjust destruction.

What is happening in the narrative?

Āstīka dispels Vāsuki’s intense anxiety, assumes the burden himself, and rushes to King Janamejaya’s serpent-sacrifice to save Vāsuki and the Nāgas from imminent death.