Shloka 3

Devanagari script

तदेतददभुतं ब्रह्मज्छा्डकाणामनामयम्‌ | कीर्तयस्वाग्निसम्मर्दे कथं ते न विनाशिता:,ब्रह्म! उस भयानक अग्निकाण्डमें उन शाड्र्गकोंका सकुशल बच जाना, यह बड़े आश्चर्यकी बात है। कृपया बताइये, उनका नाश कैसे नहीं हुआ?

Transliteration

tad etad adbhutaṁ brahma śāṇḍakānām anāmayam | kīrtayasva agni-sammarde kathaṁ te na vināśitāḥ ||

Translation

జనమేజయుడు పలికెను—బ్రాహ్మణా! ఆ భయంకరమైన అగ్నికాండంలో శార్కుకులు క్షేమంగా మిగలడం నిజంగా అద్భుతం. దయచేసి చెప్పుము—అగ్నియొక్క ఆ ఘోర సంమర్దంలో వారు ఎలా నశించలేదు?

Word by Word

तत्that

एतत्this

अद्भुतम्wonderful, astonishing

ब्रह्मज्छाण्डकाणाम्of the Brahma-born Śāṇḍakas (a group/people)

अनामयम्safe, unharmed, free from illness

कीर्तयस्वtell, relate, proclaim

अग्निसम्मर्देin the conflagration / in the fire-ordeal

कथम्how

तेthey

नnot

विनाशिताःdestroyed

ब्रह्मO Brahman! (O sage/priest!)

Speaker

जनमेजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Janamejaya

Brahman (addressed sage/priest)

Śāṇḍakas

Agni (fire)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights awe at unexpected preservation in calamity and frames an ethical inquiry: when destruction seems inevitable, one should seek the underlying causes—merit, protection, or rightful conduct—through careful narration and reflection.

What is happening in the narrative?

King Janamejaya addresses a Brahman narrator and asks him to explain how the Śāṇḍakas managed to remain safe and unharmed during a terrifying conflagration, requesting a detailed account of their escape from destruction.